NLCharly de Wijs from restaurant Chef aan de Werf in Hilversum presents an ode to plaice.
Plaice: the chameleon of the sea
The plaice comes from the family of turbot-like fish and is an excellent substitute for the somewhat more expensive turbot. This flatfish is at its peak in flavor between September and December and is readily available. The plaice is a kind of chameleon: to be as hidden and inconspicuous as possible, the color of its skin adapts to the color of the seabed. In this way, the plaice can ambush its passing prey unexpectedly.
The plaice that we currently supply mostly comes from the North Sea. Conveniently close, then. And as you are accustomed to from us, we can supply them in whichever form best suits you in the kitchen: whole, ready-to-cook (with bones) and fillets with or without skin.
Rich flavor
Plaice has a rich flavor, which at times even tends to be slightly sweet. It is a delicate fish that is easy to work with in the kitchen. The firm flesh is ideal for frying, becoming even firmer when cooked. Grilling and steaming are also excellent methods of preparing plaice. The taste of plaice is very similar to that of turbot, which makes plaice a good substitute for the somewhat more expensive turbot. Another advantage is that the plaice has a nice smooth skin, whereas turbot has a slightly rougher skin with bumps.
Charly de Wijs
Charly comes from a true hospitality family and gained his knowledge and experience at, among others, Auberge La Provence* in Laren, de Hoefslag* in Bosch en Duin, de Kastanjehof in Lage Vuursche, Dorlote in Amersfoort, Moeke Spijkstra in Blaricum, and Hotel Dom in Utrecht.
After more than 20 years as head chef, Charly has realized his dream. For 5.5 years now, he has run his own vintage-decorated restaurant, ‘Chef aan de Werf’, on Hilversum’s Mussenstraat. Recently, the restaurant was awarded a Bib Gourmand, which has led to a lot of busyness and a varied clientele. The kitchen is classically French with surprising touches. As exemplified by this beautiful dish:
Plaice with cantharel jaune, pumpkin, celeriac, samphire and smoked beurre blanc.
- Fillet the plaice and cut into 100-gram fillets. Season with salt and pepper and fry in a pan with butter.
- Dice the pumpkin and celeriac into a brunoise and roast in the oven with some thyme.
- Make a beurre blanc and add some smoked butter.
- Clean the chanterelles and briefly fry them in a hot pan, adding some samphire at the end.
- Coat the plaice with mustard and create a crust of hazelnuts. Then place the plaice in the oven for another 4 minutes at 160 degrees.
Plating:
- Take a beautiful plate and arrange the chanterelles with the samphire on it.
- Add the brunoise over the vegetables.
- Place the plaice on the vegetable garnish and drape the beurre blanc around it.
- Finish the dish with some leaves of Chinese magnolia vine and edible flowers.
