BAKED PLAICE WITH CHANTERELLES AND HERB BUTTER
This can be served as a first course or as a main course, depending on the size of the fish. All flat fish are delicious cooked in this way, e.g. black sole, lemon sole, brill, turbot, dab and flounder, John Dory and halibut. The sauce can be varied: Hollandaise, mousseline, beurre blanc, lobster and Champagne sauce are all very good.
INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4 AS MAIN) 4 very fresh plaice on the bone Salt and freshly ground pepper 225g fresh chanterelles
50-110g butter
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley or a mixture of parsley, chives, fennel and lemon thyme leaves
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 5.
Turn the fish onto its side and remove the head. Wash the fish and clean the slit very thoroughly. Use a sharp knife to cut through the skin right around the fish, just where the ‘fringe’ meets the flesh. Be careful to cut neatly and to join the side cuts at the tail or it will be difficult to remove the skin later on.
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and lay them in 5mm of water in a shallow baking tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes according to the size of the fish. The water should have just evaporated as the flesh is cooked. Check to see if the fish is ready by lifting the flesh from the bone at the head: it should lift off easily and be quite white with no trace of pink. Keep warm while you cook the mushrooms.
Pick over the chanterelles carefully and cut off the tough end bits. Wash quickly, drain on kitchen paper and cut into pieces.
Melt 15g butter and when it foams, toss in the chanterelles and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until soft and continue cooking until all the juices are absorbed into the soft mushrooms.
Melt the remaining butter and stir in the freshly chopped herbs and chanterelles. Just before serving, catch the skin of the plaice down near the tail and pull off gently (the skin will tear badly if not properly cut). Lift the fish onto hot plates and spoon the herb butter and chanterelles over it. Serve immediately.