Seared plaice fillets with spinach, caper, tomato and olive dressing

Serves: 6
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
  • Serves 6For the dressing:50ml white wine vinegar
  • 1tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2tsp honey
  • 3 pinches salt
  • 2 pinches white pepper
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 150ml olive oil
  • 3tbsp mini capers, from a jar
  • 18 vine ripened cherry tomatoes
  • 18 stoneless Kalamata olives
  • For the fish:12 skinned fillets of Irish plaice
  • Fine sea salt and pepper to season
  • Good drizzle of vegetable oil (for each pan)
  • 2 knobs butter (for each pan)
  • 1kg fresh baby spinach leaves
  • Drizzle of olive oil
  • Salt and white pepper to taste

Put the vinegar, mustard, honey and seasoning into a large bowl and whisk together. Add the lemon and lime juice. Continue whisking as you slowly pour in the olive oil, in a steady stream. Once it is emulsified, fold in the capers, tomato and olives.

Adjust the seasoning and set aside.

Heat two heavy-based, non-stick frying pans. Season the plaice on each side, add the oil to the pans and when they begin to smoke, add the fish and sear until they are golden on each side. This will take about three minutes per side.

Remove the plaice just before it’s fully cooked and put it on a plate lined with paper towels.

While the plaice is resting, heat another frying pan. Add the olive oil, bring to smoke point, then add the spinach. Season and cook rapidly. Remove after 30-40 seconds, when it is just wilted. Set in a sieve to drain off excess oil.

To serve, spoon the spinach into a small ring mould and press down with a tea spoon. Add three of these spinach mounds to each plate. Now place two fillets of plaice on the plate, spoon on three cherry tomatoes and three olives, followed by a spoonful of the dressing – making sure you dig deep to catch some capers.