Lilly Higgins: Plaice roll-ups with red pepper sauce

I don’t eat enough fish. I had an amazing Moroccan seafood stew with a little fennel and honey brioche in Orso in Cork recently and decided there and then that I must cook more fish. I tend to cook it at weekends when I have more time and have been to the market.

There’s nothing worse than old fish. At the market, I know it’s just fresh off the boat that morning, glistening on beds of ice.

There are queues at my local farmers’ markets every week. A bag of beautifully fresh fish for €5 is a bargain. It’s usually lemon sole, plaice or hake with monkfish, haddock and pollock available too. It’s a feast for the eyes and an exciting array of sea creatures for any wide-eyed toddler to witness on their weekly shopping trip. I opted for the plaice, as I have been meaning to cook this dish again for some time.

Cooking fish this way means it won’t dry out and it’s much healthier than frying. It’s a really easy, hands-off way to cook fish for a large group of people. There’s no standing at the cooker with a fish slice frying or dipping into hot oil. You can also assemble this the night before, ensuring the sauce is cold, and cover in the fridge until ready to cook.

I have gone for a roasted red-pepper sauce here, but a white wine-based sauce, a cheese sauce or even a saffron sauce would be delicious with this fish.

You can buy jars or ready-roasted peppers or just roast your own by rubbing the peppers with oil and cooking at a high heat until blistered and collapsing. Then just place in a bowl covered with clingfilm until the skins steam off. It’s a great way or preserving peppers.

My herb bed has taken off with all of the showers recently, so I am using as many herbs as I can in my cooking. For this sauce I use plenty of marjoram and parsley with a little thyme. Or basil and oregano will work well.

I have tried it with a more traditional white-wine sauce and dill with great results. To add a little crunchy texture, scatter breadcrumbs or flaked almonds over the dish near the end of cooking time. It’s a really delicious way to enjoy more fish.

PLAICE ROLL-UPS: SERVES 4

Ingredients
250g baby spinach leaves
4-8 plaice fillets
500ml passata
2 red peppers, roasted
20ml olive oil
1 garlic clove
20g mixed herbs (oregano, marjoram, parsley, basil, thyme)
2tsp lemon juice
Salt and black pepper

To serve
Salad leaves or new potatoes and lemon wedges

Method
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

To make the sauce, blitz the red peppers, olive oil, passata, garlic, lemon juice and herbs until smooth. I do this in a Nutribullet, but it can be done with a hand-held stick blender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Skin the fillets by placing skin-side down on a chopping board. Hole the tail end tightly and slip the knife between the skin and the fillet. Run the knife slowly and confidently between the skin and fish, angled slightly downwards. Grip the skin firmly as you cut and it will come away easily.

Place the spinach in a colander over the sink and pour boiling water over in order to wilt it. Leave to cool slightly before squeezing dry. Line the base of a medium-sized oven-proof dish with the spinach.

Next, lay each skinned plaice fillet on a board and season with salt and pepper. Roll tightly, starting at the tail end. Sit each roll on top of the spinach. They should all fit snugly in the dish. Pour the sauce over to cover the fish completely. Place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes until the fish is opaque.

Scatter with fresh herbs and lemon zest and serve with a green salad or new potatoes.