Why It's Best To Avoid Eating Skate Fish Skin

There are plenty of fish types for purchase in your local grocery store's seafood department. You'll find shellfish like mussels and clams, and whole fish fillets like salmon and haddock. But it's less common to find skate, a fish that closely resembles a sting ray. This fish is edible; however, you have to know how to properly eat it for the best and safest experience. The first rule: Don't eat the skin. Skate skin, unlike other types of fish, can be very uncomfortable to consume.

Skate skin is loaded with tiny thorns, so you won't get too far if you do try to eat the skin because it will be painful. Even when skinning the skate, you should wear gloves to avoid injury. If you buy skate at the store, then the skin is likely already removed because of the way skate is often packaged and sold. But if you catch skate on your own, you'll need to take steps to properly remove its skin before you eat it.

Some people prefer to cook the skate with its skin on, while others remove the skin before cooking. Skate skin requires incisions and pliers to remove, so you might be able to take it to your local fishmonger for some help if you've caught it yourself. However, you can cook the fish with the skin on, which might even keep its juices in and build flavor, then remove the skin once it's cooked.

For a tender fillet, poach the skate in water or butter until it's cooked through. Pair it with herbs and other flavor enhancers before serving, such as lemon juice or white wine, and if you haven't taken the skin off, do so before plating it. The skin is much easier to remove once the skate is cooked; it pretty much peels right off. This might be the better method if you haven't cooked with skate before and are unfamiliar with removing its skin.