What is meischol and why is it called that?
Plaice is an oval-shaped flatfish that is caught year-round in the North Sea and elsewhere. It is one of the most important fish species for Dutch fisheries. Dutch fishermen in the North Sea hold one-third of the European catch quota for this species. Plaice live on the sea floor and eat mollusks and worms. Razors and ragworms are live foods for plaice that are good for thickness and flavor. These species live in the soil, just like plaice. But what distinguishes May plaice from regular plaice?
You can see the North Sea plaice recognized by its brown skin with characteristic Orange dots.
In the winter months, plaice are lean because the fish use all their energy to make eggs. Starting in May, the fish begins to become meatier again and the flavor is at its best then. This phenomenon is called Meischol. Stichting Visserijdagen Urk auctions the first box of mayola every year. The proceeds go to charities.
How do you recognize real meischol and is goldbutt the same?
Best quality plaice can be recognized by a good layer of mucus, beautiful red dots, clear eyes and red gills. You can recognize true mayola because the plaice is thicker than in the cold months. In the summer months, plaice have 20 to 30 percent more fish meat compared to the winter months. In Germany, this phenomenon is known as Maischolle. Goldbutt is another name for plaice in general.
Why does it taste even better from June on?
Plaice is very tasty anyway and is packed with healthy vitamins and minerals. The first two months of the year is plaice spawning time. Then there is less fish meat on it and the fish contains a lot of roe. There is deliberately less fishing for plaice during this time. From May onwards the plaice becomes thick again, which makes the fish fuller in taste. That’s why the tasty plaice is called May plaice during this period. Plaice are thickest during the months of June through September.
Plaice market in Europe
Plaice is a popular fish in Europe that we often see on the menu at restaurants. In southern Europe, plaice is served as a fillet and in northern Europe, pan-seared plaice is also very popular. Plaice ready to eat is plaice with the head and fins removed. Neerlandia has specialized in making these products since its founding in 1972 and supplies them to both wholesalers and supermarkets throughout Europe.
Is plaice healthy?
Research has shown that eating fish every week reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Fish contains the Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. These are essential fatty acids that our bodies do not make themselves. Therefore, it is important to get this through our diet. Source
Other important nutrients found in fish are protein, various vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A, for example, is good for the eyes and skin. Vitamin D ensures strong bones and teeth. B12 helps with processes such as the production of new red blood cells and proper functioning of our nervous system. Iodine and Selenium are good for the thyroid and iron is needed for our blood and nervous system. Source
Plaice is a moderately oily fish and contains a rich variety of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our whole body.
How should you fry plaice?
On Urk, it is common to deep-fry plaice. But you can prepare plaice in many different ways, such as in the oven, on the grill or in the frying pan with a little butter. The fish meat has a fine texture, so preparing plaice requires some attention. The baking time of plaice is short, so do stick with it.
You can also poach plaice or make them into gourmets. For that, you can make your own flour batter from self-rising baking flour and carbonated mineral water.
There is a wealth of delicious recipes to discover on the Internet, not only from the Netherlands:
Do you choose ready-to-cook, fillet, breaded or whole mayola?
At the fishmonger you can buy whole plaice or individual fillet. You can ask the fishmonger to clean the plaice, but you can also easily do this yourself. Cut off the head, cut away the fins and clean the abdominal cavity thoroughly. You can leave the tail on to turn the fish. Whole plaice are best grilled or fried. Just on the skin, not putting it through the floral attachment first.
Fillets are very tasty if you bread them. First rinse the fish with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Sprinkle the fillets first with flour, then dip them in beaten eggs and lastly run them through seasoned breadcrumbs. Then you can bake them in the pan or in the oven.
German Recipe: Maischolle nach Finkenwerder Art
Finkenwerder Art is one of the most famous dishes in northern Germany. It is named after the village of Finkenwerder, which was originally inhabited by fishermen.
Want to prepare this dish yourself? For four servings you will need the following ingredients:
- 4 plaice of about 300 grams
- Freshly ground pepper and salt
- 40 grams of flour
- 150 grams of bacon
- 2 onions
- One organic lemon
- 3-4 tbsp sunflower oil or butter
- A few sprigs of dill
- Rinse the plaice under the cold tap. Pat them dry and rub them with salt and pepper. Cover the plaice with flour. Gently shake off the excess.
- Cut the breakfast bacon into strips and the onions into rings. Wash the lemon in hot water and cut into eight wedges.
- Heat the oil or butter in a large pan. Add the strips of breakfast bacon and fry until the fat is gone. Remove the breakfast bacon from the pan and keep warm.
- Fry the onion rings in the pan until golden brown in color. Remove the onions from the pan and keep them warm along with the breakfast bacon.
- Fry the plaice for 15 minutes on each side in the bacon (and onion) fat until golden brown in color. Add a little oil or butter if there is not enough fat.
- Rinse the dill and pat dry.
- Sprinkle the breakfast bacon and onions over the plaice. Garnish them with the lemon wedges and sprigs of dill.
- Serve the plaice with boiled potatoes and a salad
Where is the best place to buy meischol?
Plaice lives on the sea floor, therefore the taste of plaice can vary by soil type. North Sea plaice is particularly flavorful, affordable and healthy. Neerlandia Urk is located close to the North Sea, which is why we receive fresh plaice every week directly from our own fishing vessel. The time between the catch and processing is therefore very short, and we guarantee that the plaice are caught with respect for nature and the environment.
Thanks to years of experience and modern processing methods, Neerlandia Urk is the right supplier for plaice. Not only because the quality of our fish is guaranteed, but also because we support initiatives in the field of sustainable management of fishing grounds. In doing so, Neerlandia Urk is involved in all kinds of beneficial, social development. That’s fish with a good taste and feel. Check out this page with our scholastic assortment for more information.
Supply to wholesalers and supermarkets
Neerlandia Urk supplies fresh and frozen North Sea fish internationally to various wholesalers and supermarkets in all types and sizes of packaging. We manage the entire supply chain from capture to delivery to the supermarket. Or in other words, vertically integrated supply chain. Neerlandia processes plaice into finished products for consumers in, for example, NorthSeaBest small packaging.
For more information, contact our sales team
