Fried plaice with caponata

Chop the onion.

Cut the celery into thin loops.

Cut the aubergines into cubes.

Cut the tomatoes into pieces.

Halve the olives.

Squeeze the lemon.

First make the caponata.

This can be done a day in advance, which makes the sauce even better.

Heat half of the olive oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and celery.

Stir in the aubergine and cook over a low heat for four to six minutes until the aubergine becomes softer.

Then add tomato, tomato paste, sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, capers, raisins, olives, some salt, freshly ground black pepper and a few tablespoons of water and bring everything to the boil.

Smother the caponata for twenty to twenty-five minutes on a gentle heat until it is a smooth mass.

Sprinkle the flour on a plate.

Rub the plaice fillets with lemon juice, salt and pepper, swirl them through the flour.

Shake off the excess flour.

Heat the rest of the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the plaice fillets nicely brown and just done in four to six minutes.

Serve the plaice fillets with a bar of hot or lukewarm caponata in the middle.

Serve the rest of the caponata.