This plaice recipe combines sweet plaice fillets with tasty bacon flavours all on a warming bed of braised lentils – delicious
About Plaice
Plaice is one of the most popular flat fish in the UK and around Europe Their shape is an adaptation for living on the sea bed feeding on small crabs and other shellfish. They tend to feed at night in shallow water, during the day they bury themselves in the sand. It has a distinctive brown skin with bright orange spots, the underside is white.
On our counter you will see we sell the white and dark plaice fillets separately. There is a slight difference in size between the two but not change in the flavour. Alternatively you can by a whole fish and we can fillet it for you. There is quite a variety in size so you may find that one fillet is enough for two. Plaice has a fine, moist texture, bright white colour and a subtle but distinctive sweet flavour.
This plaice recipe will serve four people allow an hour for the preparation and about thirty minutes for the cooking.
Plaice Recipe Ingredients
4 x Plaice fillets from Walter Purkis & Sons
8 slices prosciutto
Oil for frying
baby watercress
salt and pepper for seasoming
For the braised lentils
250g puy lentils
100g diced pancetta
1 finely diced onion
1 finely diced carrot
1 washed and finely diced leek
2 sticks celery finely diced
2 cloves peeled and crushed garlic
1 litre chicken stock
50g butter
Thyme and Rosemary
Handful of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Plaice Recipe Cooking Method
The first thing to do is rinse and then soak the lentils, do this for one hour in cold water.
While the lentils are soaking pre-heat your oven to 160c to cook your prosciutto. To keep the presentation nice and flat spread the prosciutto between 2 sheets of silicone paper for cooking and place a weight on top. You want them to be nice and crispy, so allow about 20 minutes. Set them aside when done.
Start to cook the lentils. Using a heavy bottomed frying pan heat some oil for the pancetta chunks. Cook until they have picked up some golden colour. Next add the well chopped vegetables – onion, carrot, leek, garlic and celery The herbs also are added at this stage. Cook them together for about 5 minutes.
Next add the drained lentils, stir well adding the chicken stock, bring to the boil then turn down to a simmer until the lentils are soft but not mushy. This will take around 20 minutes. Place to one side but keep warm while you cook the fish
Season the plaice with salt and pepper. Heat a a little oil in a frying pan (non-stick is good for this) Cook the fillets for two minutes which will give them a good golden colour. Turn them over add a little butter to the pan and let them finish cooking gently for a few minutes whilst removed from the heat. As that is happening reheat the lentils, adding the chopped parsley and the butter. Serve with the fish on a bed of lentils garnished with some of the fine watercress leaves and a crispy slice of prosciutto.
This plaice recipe comes from www.fishisthedish.co.uk – give them a visit for more fish recipes.
