Raie Au Beurre Noir (Skate With Black Butter Sauce)

• 4 pieces of skinless, boneless skate, each piece about 1/2-inch thick at the thickest part
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• Salt to taste if desired
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 13 cup drained capers
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1. Arrange fish pieces in one layer, slightly overlapping, in a skillet or casserole.
2. Add water to cover, the white vinegar, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns and thyme.
3. Bring to a boil and let simmer over low heat about 2 minutes or less.
4. Turn off heat and let stand until ready to serve.
5. Do not let stand for more than a very few minutes.
6. Transfer fish pieces to a layer of paper towels.
7. Then transfer drained pieces of fish to a heated serving dish.
8. To make sauce, heat a heavy skillet, preferably of black iron, almost to smoking.
9. Add butter; when it melts and starts to darken, add capers.
10. Cook, shaking skillet and stirring, about 1 minute, or until butter starts to blacken.
11. Add red-wine vinegar and parsley, swirling it around, and pour sauce over fish.

skinless, white vinegar, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme, butter, capers, redwine vinegar, parsley

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2790 (may not work)