Plaice with Lobster Sauce
Plaice with lobster sauce looks like restaurant food but takes 20 minutes. Delicate pan-fried fillets are served with a creamy sauce made from tinned or fresh lobster bisque, double cream, lemon and dill, so you get a rich shellfish flavour without buying a lobster. The sauce is made first and kept warm while the fish cooks, which keeps the plaice from drying out.
- Total
- 20 min
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 320kcal
Keeping plaice with lobster sauce juicy
Plaice fillets are thin, so a minute either way matters. Fry them in two batches rather than crowding the pan, which drops the heat and makes the fish steam and stick. Cook just until the flesh turns white and flakes, and take it off the heat at once, as the fish keeps cooking on the plate.
Making the sauce first means it is ready when the fish comes out of the pan, so the fillets never wait. Bisque is already seasoned, so taste the sauce before you add any more salt.
How to prepare plaice with lobster sauce
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Dry the fish Pat the fillets dry on both sides with kitchen paper and season with the salt and some pepper. Warm 4 plates in a low oven.
- Make the sauce Pour the lobster bisque and double cream into a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat and cook for , stirring now and then, until slightly thickened and able to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the lemon juice and half of the dill. Take the pan off the heat and keep it warm, with a lid on.
- Fry the first fillets Heat half of the butter and half of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Lay 2 fillets in the pan, skin side down if they have skin, and cook for . Turn carefully and cook for more, until opaque and flaking easily. Lift onto a plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
- Fry the rest Wipe the pan with kitchen paper, add the remaining butter and oil and cook the other 2 fillets in the same way.
- Serve Reheat the sauce gently if needed. Put the fillets on the warm plates, spoon over the sauce and scatter with the rest of the dill.
What to serve with plaice with lobster sauce
The creamy sauce is rich, so pair it with light sides such as new potatoes, steamed asparagus or a simple green salad. For a plainer sauce on the same fish, try plaice fillet with butter sauce, or if you love the shellfish flavour, look at pasta with lobster.
Fresh dill pairs well with seafood, but flat-leaf parsley works if you prefer. A few more drops of lemon juice in the sauce will brighten it if it tastes too rich.
Common problems and fixes for plaice with Lobster Sauce
- The sauce is too thin.
- Simmer it for another 2–3 minutes. If the bisque you used is very thin, the sauce will need longer to reduce.
- The sauce splits or looks oily.
- The cream boiled hard. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold cream or water, then keep to a gentle simmer.
- The fish breaks apart when you turn it.
- The pan was not hot enough or the fillets were wet. Dry them well, wait for the butter to foam, and use a wide fish slice.
Frequently asked questions about plaice with Lobster Sauce
Can I use frozen fish for plaice with lobster sauce?
Yes. Defrost the fillets overnight in the fridge, then pat them very dry with kitchen paper so they brown instead of steaming.
What should I serve with it?
Crushed or boiled new potatoes and steamed asparagus or green beans keep the plate light. Crusty bread helps to mop up the sauce.
What can I use instead of lobster bisque?
Prawn or crab bisque works the same way. If you cannot find any bisque, use the same quantity of hot fish stock with 1 tsp of tomato purée and simmer it with the cream until thickened.
How do you know when plaice is cooked?
The flesh turns from translucent to white and flakes easily with a fork. Thin plaice needs only 3–4 minutes in total, so check it early.
How did you like the recipe?
4.6 / 5 · 46 ratings
