Part 22 (1/2)

see all fish, poultry & meat FISH, POULTRY & MEAT.

Grilled plaice with a lemon & orange sauce & new potatoes

Use full-fat creme fraiche for this recipe, as the low-fat version might cause the sauce to split.

CALORIES PER PORTION 400 kCals serves 2 250 g (8 oz) new potatoes 200 g (7 oz) purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed 2 x plaice fillets, weighing about 200-250 g (7-8 oz) each juice of 1 orange juice of half a small lemon 12 teaspoon sugar a few thyme leaves 2 tablespoons creme fraiche salt and freshly ground black pepper Put the potatoes in a saucepan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil. Put another saucepan of water on to boil for the broccoli. When the potatoes are nearly ready, preheat the grill to high, and put the broccoli into the pan of boiling water.

Wipe the plaice fillets clean, run them briefly under the cold tap to rinse, then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Put the plaice on a non-stick baking sheet.

Using a small non-stick pan, warm the orange and lemon juice over a medium heat and add the sugar and thyme leaves. Spoon a little of this liquid over the fish and put them under the grill.

Put the pan of juices back on the heat, bring up to the boil and reduce the amount of liquid. Check the fish fillets after 2 minutes - they are ready as soon as the flesh is opaque and flakes easily; how long this takes will depend on the size of the fillets. Once they are ready, keep them warm and quickly finish the sauce.

Take the pan of sauce off the heat and stir in the creme fraiche. Return it to the heat briefly to warm it up and reduce it slightly, stirring continuously until the sauce has reduced by half, though it will still be quite liquid.

Drain the potatoes and broccoli and divide between 2 warmed plates. Put a fillet of fish on each one, and drizzle the citrus sauce around the fish. Season, and serve immediately.

B.

Increase the amount of potatoes to 400 g (13 oz) between the 2 servings (this adds 55 calories)

C.

As for B, but have a 10 g (34 oz) sliver of b.u.t.ter on top of each portion of potatoes as well (this adds 130 calories)

D.

As for B, but divide a 20 g (34 oz) sliver of b.u.t.ter between the potatoes and the broccoli per portion (this adds 205 calories)

see all fish, poultry & meat FISH, POULTRY & MEAT.

Spicy North African prawns with rice

This dish packs a punch on flavour but is surprisingly quick and easy to prepare.

CALORIES PER PORTION 360 kCals serves 2 100 g (312 oz) long-grain or basmati rice 1 tablespoon sunflower oil 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 teaspoon paprika 12 teaspoon ground c.u.min a pinch of ginger 12 teaspoon cayenne (or 1 teaspoon, if you like the heat) juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon clear honey 300 g (10 oz) cooked peeled king prawns a handful of fresh coriander, leaves only, chopped salt Get everything ready as you would for a stir-fry before you start cooking, as the prawns cook very quickly. Prepare the rice first. Rinse it and either cook in your usual way, or put 600 ml (1 pint) water in a saucepan and bring it to the boil, then add the rice. Stir it and return to the boil. Cook it, uncovered for about 12-15 minutes, until tender. Take the pan off the heat while you cook the prawns.

Put the oil in a frying pan over a medium to high heat, and add the chopped garlic. When you can smell the garlic cooking, stir in the spices. Stir them around briefly, then add the lemon juice, honey and prawns. Cook for a few seconds, still stirring, add almost all the coriander and cook for a further minute. Take the pan off the heat and check the seasoning, adding a little salt if necessary.

Drain the rice, rinse it in boiling water, and divide it between 2 plates. Spoon the prawns and their juices over the rice and serve immediately, garnished with the remaining coriander leaves.

B.

Increase the amount of prawns to 400 g (13 oz) prawns between 2 servings (this adds 50 calories)

C.