Ingredients

• 175g/6oz dried butter beans
• soaked overnight in cold water (alternatively 1x 200g tin of cooked butter beans)
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ red onion
• diced
• 1 red chilli
• seeds removed
• diced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1 garlic clove
• sliced
• zest of half a lemon
• 110ml/4fl oz chicken stock
• 6 mint leaves
• chopped
• 1 tbsp dill
• chopped
• 1 heaped tbsp crème fraîche
• drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)
• 400g/14oz skinless plaice fillets
• splash vegetable oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• squeeze lemon juice

Directions

• For the butterbeans
• drain and rinse the pre-soaked beans and place in a deep saucepan
• cover with fresh cold water then add the garlic and thyme and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cook gently for approximately 40 minutes
• skimming off any scum that rises to the top of the pan
• until the beans are just tender
• then drain and set aside. Alternatively use canned cooked butter beans that have been drained and rinsed well.
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat
• add a splash of oil and sauté the diced red onion
• chilli
• ginger and garlic for one minute. Add the pre-cooked butterbeans (or tinned butterbeans) and lemon zest and cook for a further minute.
• Add the chicken stock
• increase the heat and simmer for a minute
• then remove from the heat.
• Add the mint
• crème fraîche and half of the chopped dill. Mix well and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the fish
• prepare the plaice fillets. Using a sharp flexible knife trim the plaice of any skin and outer skirt pieces so you have three neat equally sized pieces of plaice per person.
• Season the fillets with salt and black pepper.
• Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add a splash of oil then lay the fillets in the pan
• presentation side down (which is the flesh side) and cook for two minutes.
• Using a fish slice
• turn the fillets over and cook for a further minute.
• Turn off the heat
• squeeze over a little lemon juice
• then remove and drain onto kitchen paper.
• To serve
• arrange the butter beans and sauce in warm serving bowls and lay over the seared plaice. Scatter over the remaining dill and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.