This fragrant Asian dish from SORTED Food is perfect for spicing up those cold winter nights. Flaky, tender plaice is offset deliciously by aromatic soy, a rich blend of spices, fiery wasabi peas and floral jasmine rice. If you're cooking with plaice for the first time this recipe is sure to help you master it.
Preheat the oven to gas 2, 150°C, fan 130°C.
Start with the seasoning. Cut the peel from the orange and put on a baking tray along with the ginger; place in the oven to dry for 30 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
Using a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, grind the dried orange and ginger with the sesame seeds, chilli powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Fold a 25cm x 25cm sheet of greaseproof paper in half and then use scissors to cut an arc away from the fold so it opens into a heart shape. Repeat to make a second heart shape.
Place half the spring onions in a mound on each of the opened-up sheets, just to the right of the fold.
Halve the plaice fillets along the spine and then put two halves on top of each mound of spring onions, tucking the thinner tail end under. Drizzle the fish with a little soy sauce and sprinkle over the spice blend. Fold over the left side of each paper heart and crimp (this is a fancy way of saying fold over to crease and seal) the edges to completely seal in the fish.
Wash the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain. Put the rice in a pan with 200ml (1/3pt) of cold water, cover with a lid and heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, then swill the pan, turn off the heat and allow the rice to continue cooking with the lid still on for another 5 minutes.
Bring a pan of water to the boil. Tip in the petit pois and boil for 2 minutes. Drain. Using a food processor or a potato masher, blitz the peas with the butter, lemon juice and wasabi to form a coarse paste.
Turn the oven up to gas 7, 220°C, fan 200°C. Bake the fish parcels for 6-8 minutes, until the bag is puffed up. If you feel unsure then cut into one bag to check the fish is piping hot and cooked through.
Put the fish parcels on warmed plates along with the hot wasabi peas and steamed rice. To serve, sprinkle the rice with a little crumbled nori.
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Recipe taken from the SORTED Food recipe collection.