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Fish, South and Southeast Asian

Malaysian style sambal skate with rice

Sambal skate with rice is a skate wing wrapped in a spicy Malaysian style tomato sambal, baked until tender, served with jasmine rice and lime. It serves 4 in 40 minutes, medium difficulty, for €5.20 per person. The key is keeping the skate's cooking time short so it stays pearly and moist instead of drying out.

Tonight, grilled skate wing under a spicy sambal, Malaysian style, with rice and lime.

Malaysian style sambal skate with rice
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€5.20
Calories per person
500 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall

Skate has thin flesh that separates into ribbons along the cartilage, almost like flaked fish. Wrapped in a sambal of tomatoes, shallots, garlic and chilies cooked until the oil separates out, it picks up a rich, spiced flavor without going overboard, especially if you seed every other chili. Jasmine rice soaks up the sauce and a squeeze of lime at the end tames the heat.

This is a dish for when you have a bit of time on your hands, more of a relaxed weeknight dinner or a quiet Sunday evening for adults. Mon Chou suggests it as a change from the usual steamed fish, with real Southeast Asian flavors. Expect a mixed reaction from kids if the chili isn't toned down, so this one is better saved for a grownup meal.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Skate wings 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Tomatoes 3
  • Shallots 3
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Red chilies 3
  • Lime 2

Pantry

  • Shrimp paste or tomato paste 1 tsp
  • Sugaroften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Roughly blend the tomatoes, shallots, garlic, chilies and shrimp paste.

    Remove the seeds from every other chili if you want a milder sambal.

  2. Cook this mixture in the oil with the sugar and salt until the oil separates out, this is your sambal. 15 min

    Stir often, the sambal catches easily.

  3. Salt the skate wings, brush them with sambal and wrap them in parchment paper or foil.

    Save a little sambal for serving.

  4. Bake at 200°C until the flesh comes away easily. 20 min

    Test with the tip of a knife, the flesh should look pearly.

  5. Cook the jasmine rice and serve the skate with extra sambal and a lime. 12 min

    Squeezing lime over the top tames the heat.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick thick, fresh skate wings, they hold together better during cooking and come off the cartilage cleanly.
  • Make the sambal ahead if you like, it keeps a day in the fridge and actually tastes better after resting.
  • Check doneness at the 18 minute mark, the skate keeps cooking a bit after it comes out thanks to the heat trapped in the parcel.

The variations

  • Swap the skate for thick cod or monkfish fillets if your fishmonger doesn't have it.
  • For a vegetarian version, spoon the sambal over firm tofu or grilled vegetables like eggplant.
  • For a quicker version, make a simple sambal without shrimp paste, just blended tomatoes, garlic and chilies cooked for 10 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Plain jasmine rice
  • Sliced fresh cucumber
  • Iced green tea

Storage

The sambal keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container and freezes well. Cooked skate is best eaten the same day, since reheating tends to dry it out quickly.

Questions about this dish

Can I replace the shrimp paste with something else?

Yes, the tomato paste listed in the recipe works well instead of shrimp paste for a seafood free sambal. The flavor will be slightly less umami but still fragrant.

How do I know when the skate is done?

The flesh should come away easily from the cartilage and look pearly, not translucent. Test with the tip of a knife at the center of the wing after 18 to 20 minutes in the oven.

Can I make the sambal ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually handy for a quick weeknight dinner. Make the sambal the day before and keep it in the fridge, then just brush it on the skate and bake.

Is skate tricky to cook?

Not really, the main thing is not to overcook it so it doesn't turn dry and stringy. Wrapping it in parchment or foil helps it stay moist.

How long does it take to make a sambal skate wing with rice and lime?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a sambal skate wing with rice and lime?

About 500 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a sambal skate wing with rice and lime cost?

About €5.20 per serving, or €20.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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