Well, Thornback ray to be absolutely correct. This species often gets unfairly thrown into the ‘must avoid’ mix by bodies such as the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), who generally do a very good job of advising consumers on which species of fish and shellfish to eat, using their Good Fish Guide warning system, but fundamentally fail to take one aspect of fishery abundance into account and that’s what I call ‘Local Sustainability’ .

The word sustainability itself, I find rather nebulous and an easy cop-out when describing the state of fish stocks, the local economy or even peoples’ businesses and livelihoods. It of course, has to embrace the three key characteristics that define it, namely. Environment (the fish), Economic (the businesses) and Social (the communities). If the fishery, method, port, market etc can tick all three, then the management is deemed responsible and beneficial.

The trouble is that for skates and rays, currently most commercially caught species, Blonde, Spotted, Small-eyed, Starry and Undulate are rated a 4 (think before you buy) or 5 (avoid altogether) by MCS, which of course in the case of late maturing and less abundant species, like the Starry ray, is a perfectly reasonable suggestion and certainly one that I would endorse. However, your average shopper, once the skin has been pulled off the wings, couldn’t possibly identify the species and so avoidance anyway becomes the rule.

Now I have a problem with that, because, here on the East coast, we have a super abundance of Thornbacks, (or Roker, as we call it - Raja clavata to be precise). They have been described by the fishermen recently as ‘wall to wall’ and are supremely abundant, from the Thames to the Wash. So ubiquitous so, that you can’t actually avoid catching them, by whatever method - otter trawl, beam trawl, fixed gill net, drift net or longline. Such has been the problem, that the fishermen often have to steam (travel) further than normal to avoid them.

Compounding the issues further, is the fact that at market, the price the fishermen receive for the roker - especially if lots have been landed, can be counted in pence per kg rather than pounds. Because consumers aren’t encouraged to eat skate either - (supermarkets won’t generally stock it apart from Morrison’s) then the supply outstrips demand and up until the virus crisis any surplus was exported to nations who know better.

So, I call this a problem with recognising which species can be locally or seasonally sourced, because they are in fact fully ‘sustainable’ for that geographical region and for that particular population - remember that our mixed fisheries in the UK are made up of populations that sometimes can be remarkably different in size and abundance e.g bass.

Once the unwitting shopper has consulted their Good Fish Guide and made an informed decision not to buy skate, because of its ‘general’ unsuitability, there’s only one person who will lose out - yes of course, the fishermen, who having toiled their hardest, often in appalling conditions to land their beautiful and delicious Thornbacks, then can’t sell them locally as everyone assumes they're an endangered species.

I hope I’ve explained that ok, but its a fact and doesn’t just apply to skates and rays; there are many other seasonally-abundant species out there - catch opportunities which are being consistently denied to fishermen through inadequate knowledge or incomplete science and poor datasets.

However, having imparted that bit of ‘wisdom’ to you, here’s a very simple way of enjoying a fine wing of Thornback ray without having to feel guilty or concerned for the environment. Cooked simply in brown butter with capers or with some cockles or brown shrimps is my preferred way, but this recipe is great for children too and introduces them to a different species without the fuss of having to eat straight off the bone.

Pulled Skate and Paprika Potato Cakes (Serves 4)

Ingredients

1 skinned wing Thornback ray (about 500g) (or another seasonally abundant ray species)

2 bay leaves

A few black peppercorns

500g boiled floury potatoes for mashing

200g salted butter

2 tbsp creme fraiche

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 handfuls grated mature cheddar

1 tsp English mustard

4 spring onions - finely chopped

Small bunch chives - finely chopped

1 free range egg - beaten

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Method

First poach the wing in a suitable pan in salted water, (or a court-bouillon ) with the black peppercorns and the bayleaves for about 8 mins. Ladle out and drain.

Fork the ray meat away form the wing frame (pulled) and set aside.

Mash the potatoes incorporating the mustard, half the butter and creme fraiche and a little salt and pepper. Put in mixing bowl and fork in the pulled skate, adding the cheddar, paprika, chives and spring onions. Work everything together and add as much of the egg as is needed to bind, without making the mixture too wet.

Form the mixture into cakes (about 1 tbsp each) and flatten slightly ready for frying.

Melt the remaining butter in a heavy frying pan and introduce the cakes when it starts to foam. Fry them turning once or twice until the sides are crispy and golden brown.

Repeat for all the cakes (makes about 8) and serve with a green salad.