Baked Plaice and Potato Cakes with Garlic Herb Crust
- Sweet & savory
- Comforting
- Mild
Golden potato cakes topped with flaky plaice and a crisp garlic herb crumb, baked until tender. A comforting, hearty dinner from simple pantry staples.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 20 · Cook 35
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Seasoning in layers · Roasting
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
~10 min
-
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3 cm chunks. Put them in a medium pot, cover with water, add 0.25 tsp of the salt, and boil until a knife slides in easily, about 15 minutes. Drain well and mash until smooth.
~15 min
Salting the water seasons the potatoes from within, and mashing while hot prevents lumps and helps the oil absorb evenly.
Mash the potatoes while still hot so the oil absorbs evenly and the cakes hold together without cracking.
Seasoning in layers Season the water, the mash, and the herb mix separately so every component is well seasoned before baking.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the potatoes boil, mix the garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, dried rosemary, remaining 0.5 tsp salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Thaw the frozen plaice fillets, pat them dry and cut them into 4 cm pieces.
~5 min
Patting the fish dry removes surface moisture so the herb crust can crisp rather than steam.
Seasoning in layers Season the water, the mash, and the herb mix separately so every component is well seasoned before baking.
-
Stir 10 g of the extra virgin olive oil into the mashed potatoes and season with a pinch of the herb mix. Shape into two 2 cm thick cakes on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with 5 g of the extra virgin olive oil.
~5 min
Brushing with oil encourages browning and helps the cakes hold their shape without cracking.
Seasoning in layers Season the water, the mash, and the herb mix separately so every component is well seasoned before baking.
-
Lay the plaice pieces over the potato cakes, scatter the herb mix evenly on top, and drizzle with the remaining 5 g extra virgin olive oil. Bake until the fish is opaque and flakes easily and the tops are crisp, 18 to 22 minutes.
~22 min
A single layer of fish ensures even cooking and allows the herb crust to become crisp.
Keep the fish pieces in a single layer on top of the cakes so they cook through evenly and the herb crust stays crisp.
Roasting Bake at high heat until the fish is opaque and the crust is crisp; avoid overbaking or the fish will dry out.
-
Toss the green salad with a pinch of salt and serve alongside the baked potato cakes.
~2 min
