Plaice substitute

Substitutes for Plaice with ratios

1. 2Sole (lemon sole, Dover sole, petrale or rex sole)

   Close match

   Use the same amount by weight

   The classic upgrade - a finer, tighter flake that survives handling better than plaice does.

   What changes

   Best for

   meuniere, rolled or stuffed fillets, shallow frying, goujons

   Sole is slightly firmer and its flake is finer, so a fillet you lift out of the pan arrives intact rather than in two pieces. Flavour is a touch cleaner and less sweet. It usually costs more, and true Dover sole costs a great deal more, so lemon sole or petrale sole is the sensible buy. If the recipe says to roll the fillets around a stuffing, sole is actually easier to work with than plaice.

2. 3Dab or witch flounder

   Close match

   Use the same amount by weight

   The same family, often sold alongside plaice in Northern European markets and frequently cheaper.

   What changes

   Best for

   pan-frying whole, breaded fillets, quick shallow frying

   Dab is smaller and thinner than plaice, so it cooks faster - allow about 1-2 minutes a side for fillets and check the thickest part rather than trusting a timer. The flavour is very slightly sweeter and it dries out sooner, so be generous with butter or oil and get it out of the pan the moment the flesh turns opaque.

3. 4Tilapia

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount by weight

   Available everywhere and the right kind of mild, but noticeably denser and thicker than a plaice fillet.

   What changes

   Best for

   breaded or battered fillets, baking, fish tacos, fish sandwiches

   A tilapia fillet is two or three times as thick as plaice, so it eats meatier and less delicate, and it needs an extra 3-5 minutes. The flavour is mild but slightly earthier - a faint muddiness some people notice - which lemon, capers or a vinegary tartare sauce covers easily. Do not use it where the recipe wants a whole fish on the bone or a fillet folded over a filling.

4. 5Cod, haddock or hake

   Different texture

   Use the same amount by weight, cut into portions

   The best choice if the dish is battered or breaded and you care more about eating well than matching texture exactly.

   What changes

   Best for

   fish and chips, battered fish, baked fish with a crumb topping, fish pie

   You get big moist flakes instead of the thin sheet of flesh plaice gives you, which is many people's idea of an improvement in a chip shop and a loss in a delicate pan-fried dish. Because the fillet is much thicker, add 3-5 minutes and drop the frying temperature slightly so the batter does not colour before the middle is done. It will not roll, fold or lie flat in a pan the way plaice does.

5. 6Basa or pangasius (least-bad budget option)

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount by weight

   Cheap, widely available frozen, and the weakest of these options - soft, wet and blander than plaice.

   What changes

   Best for

   battered fish, breaded fillets, curries and stews where the sauce leads

   Basa carries a lot of water, so thaw it fully in the fridge, press it dry between paper towels and salt it 15 minutes before cooking to firm it up. Even then it is softer than plaice and can taste faintly flat or muddy. It is fine inside a batter or a coconut curry; it is a poor choice for anything where the fish itself is meant to be the pleasure.