The first fish of the year – plaice in their finest hour
When you think of plaice with wine, you instinctively think of a classic white wine accompaniment – and you are absolutely right. Plaice is no ordinary flatfish: in May, after spawning, it has completely built up its winter fat and its flesh achieves a tenderness and sweetness that is not found the rest of the year. The right wine pairing must recognize precisely this delicate characteristic: no heavy wine, no wood, no lush fruit – but minerality, precision and an acidity that allows the tender fish flesh to shine. The caper butter adds a salty-sour spiciness that counteracts the mild fish without overpowering it. The leaf salad adds freshness and lightness. This combination requires a wine that brings the same honesty as the dish itself – without fuss, without distraction, with maximum precision.
Ideal wine pairing: Chablis Premier Cru AOC (Burgundy, France)
From the premier cru vineyards around Chablis, where Kimmeridgian limestone with fossil oyster shells forms the foundation and Chardonnay finds its purest, most unadulterated form of expression, comes a white wine of exceptional minerality and precision. No wood, no vanilla, no opulence – instead: Citrus zest, green apple, white peach, chalk and a long, almost salty finish with a hint of oyster shell. This oyster shell minerality is the first and most important argument for the Maischolle: both share the same cool, maritime basic language, both have a salty freshness that is greater in combination than individually. The precise acidity of the Premier Cru cuts through the butteriness of the caper butter and elegantly cleanses the palate after each bite. The chalky minerality provides a grounding counterpart to the leaf lettuce. On the palate, it shows a tension and length that keeps the fine fish meat company over every bite. A wine that combines elegance and power in quiet perfection.
Further wine recommendations for this dish
Muscadet Sèvre et Maine AOC sur lie (Loire, France)
The Atlantic salt freshness and creamy yeast texture of this Muscadet from the granite soils around Nantes are a reliable, natural companion for plaice and flatfish of all kinds. Its sur-lie creaminess gently carries the caper butter, its salty freshness hits the fish flesh directly on an oceanic level. It is more modest than the Chablis Premier Cru AOC, without its depth and minerality – but with an honesty and quiet strength that fully respects the dish. For all those who prefer a more restrained, accessible wine in their glass with their plaice.
Mosel Riesling Kabinett dry QmP (Mosel, Germany)
The filigree and slate minerality of the Mosel Riesling Kabinett trocken QmP are a consistent, elegant choice for a delicate May plaice with caper butter. Its citrus precision meets the capers head-on – both are acidic, both invigorating – while its lightness puts the tender fish flesh fully in the foreground. Its slate minerality communicates on a deep, calm level with the marine character of the fish. The lightest and freshest companion of this round – for all those who are looking for maximum elegance with minimum weight in the glass when it comes to plaice.
Grüner Veltliner Wachau DAC (Wachau, Austria)
The characteristic white pepper and green freshness of the Grüner Veltliner Wachau DAC give the caper butter a spicy rub and the leaf salad a herbaceous counterpart. It comes from the primary rock terraces above the Danube with a minerality and freshness that has been tried and tested for generations in Austrian cuisine for fish with butter sauce. It is somewhat more expressive than Chablis, with its own herbal spice that accompanies the dish on a different, more direct level. For all those who prefer Austrian spice to Burgundian minerality in a glass when it comes to plaice.
Vermentino DOC Liguria (Liguria, Italy)
From the steep terraces of the Ligurian Riviera, where the Mediterranean wind and limestone shale give Vermentino its almond and citrus blossom aroma, comes a white wine with Mediterranean warmth and a characteristic bitter almond finish. This bitterness corresponds with the caper acidity in a surprisingly harmonious way – both have an invigorating, slightly tart basic language. Its freshness and hint of salt in the finish carry the fish meat in a southern European, sunny way. For all those who would rather sit on the Riviera than in Chablis when eating plaice.
You can find more light spring recipes with matching wines on the spring and wine overview page.
The recipe:
Plaice with caper butter and leaf salad
Cooking utensils
- 1 Large coated pan (for the plaice)
- 1 Small pot for the caper butter
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Fish knife and fish fork
- 1 Salad bowl
Ingredients
- 2 Ready-to-cook mash à approx. 350 g
- 3 Tbsp flour for turning
- 3 Tbsp clarified butter
- Salt white pepper
FOR THE CAPER BUTTER:
- 80 g Cold butter
- 2 Tbsp capers roughly chopped
- 1 Shallot finely diced
- 50 ml dry white wine
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- Salt white pepper
FOR THE LEAF SALAD:
- 100 g mixed leaf salad Lamb’s lettuce, rocket, lettuce
- 2 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- Salt black pepper
Preparation
PREPARATION:
- Rinse the plaice in cold water, pat dry and season both sides with salt and white pepper.
- Turn in flour, tap off excess flour.
- Mix all the salad dressing ingredients together and season to taste.
- Finely dice the shallots.
COOKING STEPS:
- For the caper butter: Reduce the shallot and white wine to a few tablespoons.
- Reduce the heat considerably, stir in the cold butter piece by piece, do not allow to boil.
- Stir in the capers, lemon juice and parsley, season to taste, keep warm.
- Heat the clarified butter in a large frying pan over a medium to high heat.
- Place the plaice in the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes on the first side until golden brown.
- Turn carefully and fry for a further 3 minutes until the meat separates from the bone.
- Mix the salad with the dressing just before serving.
DIRECTIONS:
- Serve the plaice on warmed oval plates.
- Pour the caper butter generously over the fish.
- Loosely arrange the lettuce next to it.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge and fresh parsley leaves.
SUPPLEMENTS:
- New potatoes in butter and dill
- Lemon wedge to serve
- Crispy baguette to soak up the caper butter
