Crispy Plaice with Garlic Potatoes and Warm Salad
- Savory
- Crispy
- Mild
Golden pan-fried plaice fillets with crisp-edged garlicky potatoes and a barely wilted green salad, all from one hot pan.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 25
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Pan-frying · Blooming spices
Instructions
-
Thaw the frozen plaice fillets fully, then pat them very dry with kitchen paper. Cut the potatoes into 1.5 cm cubes.
~8 min
Surface moisture steams the fish instead of letting it crisp, so drying it thoroughly is what makes the crust golden.
Pat the thawed plaice bone dry and keep the pan hot before the fillets go in: surface moisture steams the fish instead of crisping it.
-
Heat 12 g of the extra virgin olive oil in the non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer and fry for 12 minutes, turning every few minutes, until golden and crisp at the edges and tender when pierced.
~12 min
A single layer lets each cube touch the hot pan and brown rather than steam, and turning every few minutes browns all sides evenly.
Pan-frying Keep the oil shimmering but not smoking, and leave the fish undisturbed until the underside releases easily; moving it too soon tears the crust.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the potatoes fry, mix the garlic powder, dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil, paprika, 0.5 tsp of the salt and the black pepper in a small bowl.
~2 min
-
Push the potatoes to one side of the pan and add the remaining 8 g extra virgin olive oil. Lay the plaice fillets in the hot oil, sprinkle half the spice mix over them and fry for 3 minutes until the underside is golden and crisp.
~3 min
Laying the fish in hot oil starts browning straight away, and leaving it undisturbed for 3 minutes lets a crisp crust form before you turn it.
Bloom the spice mix in the oil for a few seconds before the fish goes in, but keep the heat moderate so the garlic powder does not scorch and turn bitter.
Pan-frying Keep the oil shimmering but not smoking, and leave the fish undisturbed until the underside releases easily; moving it too soon tears the crust.
Blooming spices Briefly heating the ground spices in oil releases their aroma, but keep the heat moderate and stir so the garlic powder does not scorch and turn bitter.
-
Turn the fillets, scatter over the rest of the spice mix and fry for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily and reaches 63°C in the centre. Lift the fish and potatoes onto plates.
~3 min
Fish is done when it just turns opaque and flakes; cooking past that point dries the flesh and makes it tough.
Pan-frying Keep the oil shimmering but not smoking, and leave the fish undisturbed until the underside releases easily; moving it too soon tears the crust.
-
Add the green salad to the hot pan with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and toss for 1 minute, just until it wilts slightly and picks up the pan juices. Serve alongside the fish and potatoes.
~1 min
A brief toss in the hot pan wilts the leaves without making them soggy, and the salt and pan juices season them as they soften.
