A chef-made skate salad that's twice as good
Cooking is a real pleasure. And challenging yourself with delicious dishes like Chef Giorgio Locatelli's skate salad with balsamic vinegar, pine nuts, raisins, and pomegranate is a pleasant challenge. Between washing vegetables and then cleaning pots and pans, however, it's easy to end up wasting water.
Knowing how to save water every day is more important than ever: water consumption in Italy is among the highest in Europe: on average, 229 liters of water are consumed per person every day, 66% more than the world average. 1 With the Water in Our Hands project, Finish reminds us that our aquifers are at risk of being depleted due to climate change and the misuse of this precious resource that we must urgently protect.
For this reason, Reckitt—a multinational company that owns, among others, the Finish brand—and the Future Food Institute, an Italian center of excellence for agri-food innovation—have chosen to undertake a series of concrete actions since 2020 to safeguard water resources in various areas of our country, where drought risk is very high. Let's remember that water is in our hands, and every action counts. We often waste it without realizing the consequences for our future and that of our country. Perhaps you didn't know that if you avoid rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, you save up to 38 liters of water each time. Eating vegetables is a necessity—as well as a pleasure—but we mustn't forget the essential resource without which agriculture could not exist.
Duty first, pleasure second: here are some valuable tips for saving water every day, before trying Chef Locatelli's recipe.
5 golden tips for making the most of your dishwasher
Dishwashers are fine, but only if used wisely. Here are 5 golden tips for washing dishes in the dishwasher and saving money.
- The dishwasher should only be run when fully loaded. Otherwise, it would waste a lot of energy and water.
- Don't rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher: this operation allows you to save up to 38 litres of water with each wash 3.
- Always use the "eco" program, if available. It takes longer and seems strange to consume less energy, yet it operates at lower temperatures and uses less water.
- Turn off the dishwasher - and keep it closed - when it's time to steam dry: the heat produced will dry them anyway.
- To keep your dishwasher running at its best and avoid malfunctions that could lead to waste, it's a good idea to take care of your appliance with specific products.
Skate salad with balsamic vinegar, pine nuts, raisins, and pomegranate by chef Giorgio Locatelli
- 1.5 ml water
- 800 g skate
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 peppercorns
- 5 g sale
- 2 parsley stalks
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 celery stalk
- 10 ml of 12-year-old balsamic vinegar
- 1 bunch of arugula
- 20 g pomegranate
- 20 g toasted pine nuts
- 20 raisins
- 30 ml of vinaigrette
- Cut the vegetables into coarse pieces.
- In a saucepan, add the water, salt, vegetables, pepper, bay leaves, parsley, and skate. Bring to a boil and cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove the skate from the cooking liquid and use a spoon to remove the dark part. Then, using a spatula, separate the skate from the cartilage, being careful not to break it.
- Place the skate on a tray and pour the vinaigrette over it, reserving a couple of tablespoons. Cover with plastic wrap until it reaches room temperature.
- Season the arugula with salt and pepper and a spoonful of vinaigrette. Arrange the arugula in the middle of the plate. Arrange the fish on top of the arugula. Scatter the pine nuts, raisins, and pomegranate around the fish. Finish with balsamic vinegar and a pinch of coarse salt.
1. Ipsos CAPI In Home Meter research conducted on a representative sample of 153 Italian families, July 2019. 2. Idem. 3. Idem.