Recipe of the week by Lawrence Murphy | Grilled plaice, mussel sauce and parsley oil

A plaice grilled on the bone with a lemon and parsley butter makes a fantastic easy lunch or supper but this recipe is a little bit more complicated but worth the effort.

Served skinned, filleted and grilled with a mussel sauce, potato cubes and parsley oil this dish has lovely flavours and presents beautifully.

Try to buy the plaice as fresh as you can looking out for bright orange spots and firm flesh. I’m sure if you ask nicely your fishmonger will fillet and skin the plaice for you.

Ingredients, serves 4

2 large plaice filleted and skinned

500g fresh mussels

150ml white wine

1 onion finely chopped

1 leek finely chopped

300ml double cream

2 large potatoes cut into 1cm cubes

1 bay leaf

For the oil

Small bunch parsley

200ml olive oil

Pinch of salt

Method

1. Pick the leaves of the parsley and wash. Dry on paper towels.

2. Put the parsley, oil and salt into a liquidiser and blitz together for 30 seconds on the highest setting.

3. Sieve the oil through a muslin cloth and discard the pulp. Put the oil into the fridge until required.

4. Heat a saucepan on a medium heat and add a knob of butter. Add half the onion and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Add the white wine and turn up the heat. When the wine boils add the mussels and stir. Put a lid on the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Stir again. Check that the mussels have opened, then strain through a sieve making sure you keep the liquid.

6. When the mussels have cooled remove them from the shells and remove any beards.

7. Cook the potato cubes in salted water until just cooked, then run under cold water to stop cooking.

8. Heat another saucepan and cook the remaining onion in a little butter until soft.

9. Add the leek and mussel cooking liquid. Heat and then add the double cream.

10. Put the plaice on a metal tray, brush with melted butter and grill for 4 minutes.

11. Put the potatoes into the sauce and gently heat for 1 minute and then add the mussels – cook for another minute

12. Spoon the sauce, mussels and potato into bowls top with the fish and spoon the parsley oil around to serve.