Plaice substitutes

The nearest thing to plaice on an American or Canadian fish counter, and near enough to be undetectable in a finished dish.

Best for

pan-frying, breaded fillets, grilling whole, goujons, fish and chips

Plaice is a flounder relative, so the size, thinness and mild slightly sweet flavour all line up. Flounder tends to hold a little more water and can be marginally softer, so pat the fillets very dry and keep the pan hot or the surface steams instead of browning. Cook times are the same: 2-3 minutes on the first side, about 1 minute on the second.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.