Plaice Goujons with Minted Pea Dip
I was a fussy eater as a child, so anything in breadcrumbs had a decent chance of getting past me. These plaice goujons are the grown up version of that idea. Plaice is a delicate flatfish that cooks in minutes, which makes it perfect for slicing into strips and shallow frying until the coating turns properly golden.
The minted pea dip is what lifts this above a plate of fried fish. Frozen peas, a handful of mint, a squeeze of lemon and a spoonful of creme fraiche, all blitzed together until it is almost smooth. It is sharp and fresh, and it cuts straight through the crunch of the goujons.
Ask at the fish counter for fillets that have already been skinned, because it saves a fiddly job at home. If there is no plaice about, lemon sole works just as well and is usually sitting right next to it. I fry these in two batches so the pan stays hot and nothing steams.
This makes enough for four with chips or a green salad. They are best eaten straight out of the pan while the coating is still crisp, and any leftover pea dip keeps in the fridge for a couple of days. It is very good on toast the next morning.
Plaice Goujons with Minted Pea Dip
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 people
Serving size: 292g
Calories per serving: 383
Fat per serving: 10.9g
Ingredients
- 500g plaice fillets, skinned and cut into finger-width strips
- 75g plain flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 100g dried breadcrumbs
- 200g frozen garden peas
- Small bunch of fresh mint (leaves picked)
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1 lemon (half juiced, half cut into wedges)
- Sunflower oil for frying
- Salt and black pepper to season
Method
- Start with the dip. Tip the frozen peas into a pan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, then drain them well and run them under cold water to keep the colour bright.
- Put the peas into a food processor with the mint leaves, creme fraiche and the juice of half the lemon. Blitz until almost smooth, season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Set out three shallow bowls, one with the flour, one with the beaten eggs and one with the breadcrumbs. Season the flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Roll each strip of plaice first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the coating sticks all the way round.
- Pour enough sunflower oil into a large frying pan to cover the base and set it over a medium-high heat. The oil is ready when a stray breadcrumb sizzles straight away.
- Fry the goujons in two batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, until deep golden and crisp. Lift them onto kitchen paper to drain while you cook the rest.
- Serve piping hot with the minted pea dip and the remaining lemon cut into wedges for squeezing over.
