What is Plaice?

Plaice is a collective name for several species of right-eyed flatfish that live in cool ocean environments.

Like most flatfish, plaice are excellent table fare, known for their mild, white flesh. Plaice are usually served fried, baked or grilled.

European, American, Alaskan, and scale-eye plaice

European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) are identified by their brown or greenish brown upper-side skin, distinctive orange spots and bony ridge behind the eyes.

European plaice occur on the sandy bottoms of the European shelf from the Barents Sea to the Mediterranean. The commercial fishery for plaice is very important to the European seafood sector.

In the North Sea, plaice fisheries are important for nations such as The Netherlands, which holds over 50% of the European Total Allowable Catch. In many plaice fisheries, Dover sole is an important commercial by-catch.

The American plaice or dab (Hippoglossoides platessoides) is a "right handed" flounder, found mainly north of Cape Cod into the Arctic Ocean. In European waters, they range from England to Iceland. 

American plaice generally grow to about 24 inches in length. Females grow faster and larger than males. They weigh an average of half a pound when 12 inches long, and 6 pounds when 24 inches long.

The U.S. fishery is managed under the New England Fishery Management Council's Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP).

Alaska plaice (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) are found in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. Like most flatfish, they live on the bottom of the continental shelf.

Scale-eye Place

The scale-eye plaice (Acanthopsetta nadeshnyi) is another flatfish of the northern Pacific, primarily living from the Sea of Okhotsk to Japan and Korea. Scale-eye Place are also found in the Bering Sea.

Plaice Fish Recipe

4 plaice fillets, skinned

1/2 pound button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

flour

salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup cream

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

1. Melt 1/4 stick of butter in a large frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep hot.

2. Coat the plaice in flour, salt, and pepper. Add an additional 1/4 stick of butter in the pan and add the fish.

3. Fry quickly until golden on both sides. Add the wine and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the fish is tender, turning once during the cooking time.

4. Re-add the mushrooms to the pan. Stir in the cream and heat gently. Do not allow to boil or the cream will separate.

5. Transfer the fish to a hot serving platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Related Information

How To Fillet Flatfish

MSC Blue Label Awarded to Osprey Trawlers North Sea Twin-rigged Plaice Fishery

The Osprey Trawlers North Sea Twin-rigged plaice fishery has been awarded the Marine Stewardship Council certificate, making it the second North Sea plaice fishery to achieve MSC certification for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. The vessels of the Osprey Group will from now be able to affix the blue MSC ecolabel to their catches.

The fishery targets plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) using twin-rigged demersal trawl in the north east Atlantic. Its vessels catch approximately 2,000 Metric Tonnes annually (about 3% of EU North Sea quota). The Osprey Group's fishing season runs from 1 April to 15 November in order to avoid the spawning season for plaice.

The use of twin otter trawls to fish for plaice is a relatively recent innovation. The main reason for the change to twin rigs is the reduction in fuel used and improved condition of the landed fish. The nets have a number of features designed to reduce the discarding of unwanted by-catch and to reduce the impact on the sea floor.  To protect the sea bed the Osprey Group avoids fishing in a number of areas which correspond with those previously closed by Ekofish Group.

The plaice is landed at Urk and Insula in The Netherlands but supplies markets selling whole and filleted (fresh & frozen), and breaded plaice fillets throughout the EU.

The plaice is a type of flatfish with a smooth brown or greenish brown upper-side with many vivid orange spots and bony knobs behind the eyes. Mostly nocturnal, they feed on bottom-living animals.