Fried plaice with North Sea crabs in white wine cream sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 fish(s) (plaice), whole, freshly caught, 400 – 500 g each
• 2 tbsp clarified butter
• some flour
• 100 g North Sea crabs, fresh, or preferably 350-450 gunge peeled
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 100 ml cream
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 1 tsp butter (crab butter)
• 1 tsp lemon zest, grated
• Salt
• White pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 10 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

recipe suitable for beginners

Cut off the heads, fins, and tails of the plaice with kitchen scissors. Peel any unpeeled crabs. Simmer the fish trimmings with 200 ml of white wine for about 10-15 minutes, then strain. Add the horseradish, a little salt and pepper, the crab butter, and the lemon zest to the stock. Add the cream and mix well, bring back to a boil, and then add the North Sea crabs. Remove from the heat. Heat the clarified butter in a large pan. Season the plaice with salt and pepper, and flour. Add the plaice, light-side up, to the hot clarified butter, fry for about 4 minutes, turn, and fry for another 4 minutes at medium heat. Arrange on plates and pour over the sauce. Serve with cucumber salad, lamb’s lettuce, steamed fennel, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, or saffron rice cooked in shellfish stock.