Plaice with Lime and Ginger Butter, Ayrshire Tatties and Asparagus

This lovely dish of Plaice with Lime and Ginger Butter, Ayrshire Tatties and Asparagus is a twist on a sole meunière. From the recipe files of top chef Tony Singh this recipe is simple but it does not compromise on taste, with the ginger and pomegranate adding extra interest...and it looks beautiful on the plate.

Ingredients

For the fish
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 4 plaice, cleaned and trimmed with dark skin removed
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Butter
For the sauce
  • 50g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
    Juice of 3 large limes
  • 140g unsalted butter
  • 30g fresh pomegranate seeds
    2 tablespoon coriander, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon curly parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
To serve
  • 12 spears asparagus
  • Salt and pepper
  • 10 small New Ayrshire tatties or Jersey Royals / Baby Mids
  • 4 sprigs of mint

Method

For the asparagus

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil and season with salt
  • Drop in your asparagus and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender
  • Take out, drain and season with salt and pepper

For the tatties

  • Place the tatties into a pan with cold water and 3 teaspoons of salt and bring to the boil
  • Reduce the heat then add the mint and leave to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until tender and just cooked through
  • Drain in colander and season

For the fish

  • Heat the oven to 200C
  • Mix the flour with the salt and spices and dust the fish in it, shake off any excess
  • Heat a large and preferably non-stick, ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil and wait until it hazes
  • Add the sole skinned side first and fry, without moving them, for 3-4 minutes until they form a golden crust
  • Turn it over and put it into the top of the hot oven for a further 8-10 minutes until cooked through and flesh opaque
  • You might need to use two frying pans if the fish are too large to fit in one
  • If pans are not ovenproof, then preheat a lightly oiled baking tray while you fry the fish and transfer them straight onto this

 For the sauce

  • Place the ginger and lime juice in a mini food processor or blender and whizz
  • Pour the mix into a bowl lined with a cloth and squeeze out all the ginger-lime juice to extract as much juice as possible. Keep liquid and discard the dry pulp
  • Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and bubble until the butter turns a nut brown colour (about 2-3 minutes once bubbling) then add the lime and ginger juice, pomegranate seeds and chopped herbs to the pan
  • Reduce the heat to low and just warm it through (don’t overheat it at this stage or it will separate). Season, to taste
  • Serve the sole on the asparagus and spoon over the sauce with the tatties on the side

Ingredients

For the fish
  • 4 tbsp plain flour
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 4 plaice, cleaned and trimmed with dark skin removed
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Butter
For the sauce
  • 50g fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
    Juice of 3 large limes
  • 140g unsalted butter
  • 30g fresh pomegranate seeds
    2 tablespoon coriander, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon curly parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
To serve
  • 12 spears asparagus
  • Salt and pepper
  • 10 small New Ayrshire tatties or Jersey Royals / Baby Mids
  • 4 sprigs of mint

Method

For the asparagus

  • Bring a large pan of water to the boil and season with salt
  • Drop in your asparagus and cook for 2 minutes or until just tender
  • Take out, drain and season with salt and pepper

For the tatties

  • Place the tatties into a pan with cold water and 3 teaspoons of salt and bring to the boil
  • Reduce the heat then add the mint and leave to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until tender and just cooked through
  • Drain in colander and season

For the fish

  • Heat the oven to 200C
  • Mix the flour with the salt and spices and dust the fish in it, shake off any excess
  • Heat a large and preferably non-stick, ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil and wait until it hazes
  • Add the sole skinned side first and fry, without moving them, for 3-4 minutes until they form a golden crust
  • Turn it over and put it into the top of the hot oven for a further 8-10 minutes until cooked through and flesh opaque
  • You might need to use two frying pans if the fish are too large to fit in one
  • If pans are not ovenproof, then preheat a lightly oiled baking tray while you fry the fish and transfer them straight onto this

 For the sauce

  • Place the ginger and lime juice in a mini food processor or blender and whizz
  • Pour the mix into a bowl lined with a cloth and squeeze out all the ginger-lime juice to extract as much juice as possible. Keep liquid and discard the dry pulp
  • Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and bubble until the butter turns a nut brown colour (about 2-3 minutes once bubbling) then add the lime and ginger juice, pomegranate seeds and chopped herbs to the pan
  • Reduce the heat to low and just warm it through (don’t overheat it at this stage or it will separate). Season, to taste
  • Serve the sole on the asparagus and spoon over the sauce with the tatties on the side