In Spain, "a la plancha" translates to "on the grill." It's more a philosophy of life than a cooking technique. When you have the absolute best ingredients, there is no need for cooking complexity.
Fish + salt + pepper + lemon. That's it.
A couple of equally-simple side dishes rounded out a three-courser that came together in no time.
Smelts a la Plancha (use any small fish, sardines for instance work nicely)
-4 smelts, cleaned
-Salt, pepper
-Lemon wedges
Salt and pepper the smelts; grill over charcoal or on a grill pan, turning once, until fish is cooked and flaking, about 5-7 minutes.
Mushroom Gratin
-1 basket button mushrooms, sliced
-1 leek, rinsed and sliced
-2-3 sprigs thyme
-Chives cut into batons
-1 tbsp white wine
1/2 cup bread crumbs, homemade or panko, toasted
-2 tbsp Taleggio cheese, diced
-1 tbsp parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
-salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a 10 inch pan, cook onion in olive oil; add mushrooms, thyme, and chives and cook until mushrooms release their liquid; add white wine to pan slowly to prevent burning before mushrooms release their juice; add pinch salt and peppe to taste; transfer mushroom leek mixture to two individual baking dishes; dot each with diced taleggio cheese and parmigiano reggiano; cover with breadcrumbs. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
Kale Salad
-1/2 bunch kale leaves, ribs removed and chopped
-2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
-1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano
-Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
-1/4 cup olive oil
-Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare leaves and toss with dressing made by emulsifying lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and salt and pepper; Prepare in advance and let sit in refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight; add pine nuts and reggiano before serving; add salt and pepper to taste.