Plaice Baked with Prawn Mash

Prep Time: 0:15
Cook Time: 0:25
Serves: 4

Ingredients / Shopping List

4 fillets of plaice (about 100g each taken from either side of the back bone)

2 thin red chillies

1 large clove garlic

30g butter

Cornish sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon

Mash:  800g white potatoes such as ‘Estima’

100g pink cooked prawns

30g butter

20g ends of smoked salmon

3 Brussels sprouts per person
 

Prep to Cook: Pans, potato peeler, fork, masher, shallow ovenproof dish, veg knife chopping board.

Prep: 1.  Prep the mash:

Peel and chop the three large white potatoes

Boil in salted water for 15 minutes with lid on

When tender to a fork drain and mash with seasoning and butter

Dice up the prawns and the smoked salmon

Mix into the mash and pile into an oven proof dish

Dot with butter all over the top put in the oven 190ºC or Gas 5

2.  Prepare the fish:

Lay the fish onto a flat baking dish – each fish needs its own space

Sprinkle with Cornish sea salt

Grind some black pepper over the fish

Melt the butter gently in a jug– about 25seconds in the microwave

Carefully slice the chilli either side of the seeds

Scrape out the seeds and throw away, retain the chilli flesh

Dice up the red chillies really finely

Peel and grate the garlic

Mix these flavours into the melted butter and pour over each of the plaice

Cook in the oven at 190C or Gas 5 for 15mins

The fish will be cooked when it turn white rather than opaque

Now turn on the grill and pop the fish under the grill to brown the butter

3.  Prep the sprouts:

Slice the sprouts into thin slices about 3mm thick

Drop into boiling water for 3 minutes and drain

4.  Prep the plate:

Place the fish onto the plate and spoon over the butter

Add a spoonful of fishy mash and then the sprouts

Serve immediately

Check it out!

Plaice fillets are light and moist with incredible flavour. It is a good choice for those who may not usually choose fish. There are no bones to deal with.  You can use any white fish off the bone for this recipe if plaice is too expensive.

 

Recipe Science

Cooks Know How: Plaice is a white, flat, fat-free fish.  The oil is in the liver of white fish not in the flesh. Plaice is a good source of protein.  Served with prawn potato mash this dish looks good on the plate and is a healthy light meal.  Baking fish is a simple way to cook it that does not toughen the fish flesh.