Flounder - How to Buy and Cook It

Flounder is a very flavorful fish. It has a fine texture, a mild flavor, and firm white flesh. It is a lean fish rather than a fatty one. If you want to cook flounder for dinner, bear in mind that you will need three quarters to one pound of whole fish per serving, half a pound of cleaned fish per serving or a quarter to a third of a pound of steaks or fillets per serving.

How to Choose Good Quality Flounder

When choosing a whole fish, look out for pink or deep red gills, which are free from mucus, slime, and a shiny surface with healthy-looking scales. The flounder should have a shiny, clean belly cavity without protruding bones or cuts and it should smell very mild.

Fresh fish smells like the ocean, nothing more. A strong fishy odor means it is not very fresh. If you prefer to buy flounder loins, fillets, or steaks, you should choose fish with firm flesh, no discoloration, and a translucent appearance.

How to Cook Flounder

Cook flounder for ten minutes per inch of thickness at its thickest part. 400 to 450 degrees F is a good temperature for baking the fish. If you want to cook the flounder in foil, parchment or a sauce, you need to add five minutes to the cooking time. If the flounder fillets are less than half an inch thick, you will not need to turn them during cooking.

To broil a flounder, you should rinse it and wipe it dry. Brush some olive oil or melted butter over it and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish. Broil it for three or four minutes under a hot broiler, then broil the other side. When the thickest part of the fish is white all the way through, it is done.

To microwave a flounder, put it on a microwave-safe dish and brush some melted butter or oil over it. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the flounder and cover the dish. Cook it on high for two or three minutes, then garnish it with lemon wedges and fresh parsley.

A Simple Recipe for Pan-Fried Flounder

Pan-frying is a great way to cook this fish because the flesh is firm enough to hold together and pan-frying brings out the very best flavor. This recipe makes enough to serve four people.

What you will need:

4 skinless flounder fillets
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons capers in juice
Juice from a lemon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
All purpose flour, for dredging
Salt and pepper, to tasteHow to make it:

Wash the flounder and pat it dry. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over it, and then dredge it in flour. Put two tablespoons of the butter in a skillet with the oil and heat it over a moderate to high heat until the butter melts.

Pan-fry the flounder for three minutes or until it is crispy and golden brown. Flip it over and give it three minutes on the other side too. Transfer the flounder to a serving plate and turn off the heat.

Whisk the rest of the butter into the liquid in the skillet and stir in the capers, their juice, and the lemon juice. Pour this sauce over the fish and serve immediately with French fries or mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice. Broccoli or green beans are nice with this flounder recipe.

You might have seen flounder recipes on a food blog and it is true that this fish has a delicious, mild flavor. Why not do a recipe search to find your ideal flounder recipe for dinner this evening?

RecipeDirectory.org Where the Web Searches for Recipe Sites

Thanks To : rachael ray 10 piece cookware set