Most fish tastes amazing when cooked on the bone. All the juice stay in the fillets and any flavour from the bones goes into the fish. There is also very little preparation – simply brush with butter, grill for a few minutes and serve with a mouth-watering sauce. When buying your fish, ask for the head and fins to be trimmed off, the dark side to be removed and any blood clots and roe to be taken out.
Serves 2
Ingredients Fish: 2 x 1 1/2lb (675g) whole plaice, trimmed·Salt and pepper·1/2 oz (15g) butter, melted
Butter: 1 heaped tblsp finely chopped onion·Juice and grated zest of 1/2 lemon·2oz (50g) butter·2tsp chopped tarragon·Lemon wedges and tarragon sprigs, to garnish
- Season the plaice with salt and pepper and brush with butter on the white flesh side. On an oven tray, grill under a medium heat for 8-10 mins. There is no need to turn the fish. Once cooked, the skin should be golden brown and crispy.
- To make the butter, place the onion, lemon juice and zest in a small pan and cook gently for 5-6 mins until the onion has softened. Allow to cool, then mix with the butter and chopped tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, spoon some butter on top of each plaice, arrange on large plates and garnish with lemon wedges and tarragon sprigs. I like to eat the fish with a green salad and chunks of crusty bread to mop up the remaining butter.