Skate with pickled vegetables, broccoli and quinoa

Serves 4 Starters and mains

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Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/ Gas 7. Halve the carrots lengthways or, if larger, slice into thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler, then into 1cm-wide lengths. Slice the celery thinly on the diagonal, then in half lengthways. Cut the thick stem from the head of the broccoli, peel it, then slice diagonally into batons. Toss everything together in a shallow oven tray with 1tbsp rapeseed oil and roast for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the rice wine vinegar with the caster sugar, 4 tbsp water and garlic until the sugar dissolves. When the vegetables are ready, lift them into a warmed dish, add the pickling liquor and mix well to coat thoroughly.

Weigh out 80g of the broccoli florets. Whizz to a rice texture in a mini-processor and set aside.

Rinse the quinoa in cold water and place in a small pan with enough cold water to cover by just under a centimetre. Bring to the boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Quickly add the broccoli 'rice' and give it another 3-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, stir, turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Keep warm in the covered pan off the heat.

Mix the flour, 1⁄2tsp freshly ground black pepper and a large pinch of sea salt on a plate, and toss the skate pieces in the mixture to coat evenly.

Heat the rest of the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the skate for 2 1⁄2-3 minutes on each side until golden – when cooked, the flesh should just about separate from the thickest part of the cartilage when eased aside with a knife. Transfer to warm plates and leave for a few minutes.

Serve with the broccoli quinoa and pickled vegetables.