That Skate!

[spring fever]

I have kept small dogfish. They are a bit of a pain to clean-skin them. Then soak in milk for 8 hours-batter and deep fry-absolutely first rate. If your wife screams when she opens the fridge-don't worry it's just the dogfish fillets twitching in the milk. Can be a little creepy I guess. Really fresh!! LOL

 

[Gunsmith]

Just Google it and you will find a site that shows how to cut up and cook skate.

 

[Rockfish]

Like most topics on this forum this is not the first thread on Skate. As I recall Wolf/Roy had a good tip for making skate scallops on an earlier thread.

Get a short piece of pipe with an inside diameter the size of a scallop and sharpen one end on a grinder then hit it with a hammer on skinned skate wings to punch out scallops. I would think stainless pipe would be best.

 

[Englishman]

How do you prep a skate or dogfish properly?

Not to sidetrack this thread but anyone keep a dog fish?....I heard the english comercial fish them for fish and chips?

Yes the English eat tons of dogfish in fish and chip shops. And yes it is called "rock salmon". Don't know how that name came about but can probably Google it. Anyway it has been a traditional dish for decades and this Englishman loved his rock salmon (always deep fried in batter) and chips as a young teen. No ill-effects whatsoever!!

 

[Mike_W]

So how would you describe the meat (flavor and texture) of dog fish?
I have had shark steaks before and they were a white meat and a firm flakey meat. I would imagine a dog fish to be something similar.

 

[Englishman]

So how would you describe the meat (flavor and texture) of dog fish?
I have had shark steaks before and they were a white meat and a firm flakey meat. I would imagine a dog fish to be something similar.

Mike,

So flesh is very white, not quite as flaky as ling cod or halibut. Has a more even consistency but if anything, tastes slightly sweeter and less "fishy". (However my memories could be influenced by the great batters it always came in from the old English "chippies". LOL)

 

[Dogbreath]

Dogfish is ok it's just that there are better eating fish in our waters.

 

[spring fever]

Dogfish is excellent -really-the problems are-not easy to clean-'doesn't look great, fillets should be soaked in milk for 8 hrs to get rid of the uric acid build-up hence the ammonia smell and the supposed problems with the bigger ones of way too much Mercury. Sooooo-I'll have my Finch and Chimps with Ling,Hali or snapper-in that order before I have a doggie.

 

[Grizz]

I’m also interested in how to process skate and dogfish, and best places to catch skate. Sandy bottom? Ive heard Rathtrevor area would be good, which makes me thing or the south end of Qualicum beach as well.

 

[Enniberg]

12 years ago - way to resurrect an old thread!
I had completely forgotten that had once been interested in this, lol

 

[Bryan Allen]

I’m also interested in how to process skate and dogfish, and best places to catch skate. Sandy bottom? Ive heard Rathtrevor area would be good, which makes me thing or the south end of Qualicum beach as well.

Quite a few years back my buddy and I came back into Deep Bay after the morning bite. While loading the boat my buddy cast a left over herring into the bottom of the boat launch area. Only about 8ft deep. Just after loading the boat on the trailer, my buddy let out a "FISH ON " Grabbing his rod he was into something heavy that fought like a sack of cement. Took him a while with 15lb line, but he skidded the fish up on the mud under the wharf walkway.... It was a skate, and a big one. While we were admiring his catch, a lady who had been watching from the wharf asked what we were going to do with it. "Well....let it go ! She asked if she could have a slab. My buddy said "no" as he didnt want to kill it for just a piece. BUT if she wanted to take the WHOLE fish and utilize it.... then she could have it Yes Yes Yes ! We dragged it up to the road and loaded it into her hatch back. We had to fold the wings up to make it fit. But she drove away all smiles. I often wonder what her husband said when she showed up with 60-70 lbs of fish , slime and mud in her car

 

[ClintR]

Quite a few years back my buddy and I came back into Deep Bay after the morning bite. While loading the boat my buddy cast a left over herring into the bottom of the boat launch area. Only about 8ft deep. Just after loading the boat on the trailer, my buddy let out a "FISH ON " Grabbing his rod he was into something heavy that fought like a sack of cement. Took him a while with 15lb line, but he skidded the fish up on the mud under the wharf walkway.... It was a skate, and a big one. While we were admiring his catch, a lady who had been watching from the wharf asked what we were going to do with it. "Well....let it go ! She asked if she could have a slab. My buddy said "no" as he didnt want to kill it for just a piece. BUT if she wanted to take the WHOLE fish and utilize it.... then she could have it Yes Yes Yes ! We dragged it up to the road and loaded it into her hatch back. We had to fold the wings up to make it fit. But she drove away all smiles. I often wonder what her husband said when she showed up with 60-70 lbs of fish , slime and mud in her car

I caught one in port Hardy one time that was about 4’ wide and at least 7’ long from nose to tip of the tail. Guide I was with cut it off as a garbage fish before we could even take a picture.

 

[IronNoggin]

A while ago:

 

[Roberth]

Skates pee through their skin....just like Dogfish.

Hence the ammonia smell in improperly prepared meat.

You have to prep 'em like Dogfish by getting the pee out of the skin/meat first.

Once ate a small one that I baked without prepping it properly. Was nauseous for hours later.

Skate are members of the shark family and excrete urine through their skin. Hence the ammonia smell. to negate this you need to skin them immediately upon capture and soak the flesh in milk for 20 min before cooking to neutralize the Uvic acid. Tastes like lobster when prepared properly

 

[fishbadger]

We catch a bunch. They are a huge disappointment (that it's not a halibut), and we get rid of them as fast as humanly possible. But go for it and eat em if you really want to,
fb

 

[Tips Up]

You lost me at pees through its skin.
Not sure why I would want to find away to remove the pee and eat it.

 

[jackfish]

I think there are lots of good comments here already on processing skate and dogfish. When we were thick in dogfish, I decided to try eating one. I'd just add, don't use your favorite knife. Unbelievable how tough the skin is. No bones, which is a nice feature. Taste wasn't bad...just nothing to rave about. Wouldn't process another one by choice.

I have to say I'm disappointed when I see or hear of people killing dogfish and dumping, or just cutting line and letting them go with hook embedded. not cool.

either eat what you catch, or treat it with respect.

 

[SeaSaw]

I struggled with removing gut hooked doggies till i picked up a hook remover off amazon earlier this year - the 'crazy shark'. For <$20 and made in china from 'local' aluminum, i dont expect it will last - but it has saved at least two rigs, a few dogfish lives, and makes fast work of the process... as for skates - for me it is no scallop, but definately worth trying every now and then.

 

[Damn Ugly]

Soak your dogfish in Mango/Pineapple juice overnight, then do a quick rince in freshwater before prepping & cooking. Completely eliminates any aftertaste and leaves the meat soft & sweet.