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Many sophisticated gourmets know about the excellent taste of flounder. The most demanding eaters around the world appreciate this soft and surprisingly tender fish meat.
The nutritional properties of flounder allow it to be a favorite among seafood lovers, as it has a mild sweet taste. However, you should be able to choose, cook and serve the meat of such fish correctly.
Otherwise, there is a chance of even getting poisoned!
Use of flounder in cooking
In cooking, flounder is a difficult product to prepare. However, knowing some secrets, you will be able to make real masterpieces of culinary art out of it. In stores, sellers offer to buy fillets or a whole carcass of fish.
Choose butchered fish if you are a beginner. You can cook low-fat flounder meat in a frying pan, in the oven or even on the grill. Some gourmets prefer steamed flounder.
The main task is not to spoil the delicate fish texture.
Is fried flounder good for you?
Flounder will saturate your body with vitamins and minerals. Fish contains a large amount of selenium, iron, and vitamin B12. These substances help prevent the development of heart disease. I
n addition, flounder contains omega-3. The spectrum of beneficial properties of this acid for the human body is wide and diverse. Studies of scientists have shown that those who regularly consume seafood with omega-3 are little susceptible to cardiovascular problems and the development of atherosclerosis.
The flounder itself does not cause any harm to the human body, however, you should use it in limited quantities: the portion should not exceed 100 g.
The fish can only harm if it has been cooked in “harmful” ways, such as frying, pickling, drying, and smoking. However, you can simply fry the fish in olive oil instead of vegetable oil to make the product much healthier.
How to choose a good flounder
When choosing a flounder, pay attention to its smell, the fish should not have an extraneous fragrance. Determine the freshness of the flounder by pressing your finger on the skin surface.
If the fish is fresh, the hole will not form or will fill up soon. Also pay special attention to the color of the gills, which should be pink. Nutritionists usually advise taking small flounder: such fish did not have time to collect a lot of harmful substances and heavy metal salts. When buying, pay attention to the packaging: it should not be damaged.
Black gills, plaque and bluish streaks in the fillet are also the signs of poor—quality fish.
Is flounder hard to cook?
Flounder has quite tender meat, its texture you can easily spoil during cooking. You need to be especially careful when frying such fish. Another difficulty lies in proper heat treatment.
Marine fish accumulate a large amount of mercury, as well as other toxic substances. Professional chefs consider flounder to be quite a difficult fish to prepare, but following the advice, you can easily cook it.
Tips for making good flounder
Tips from professional chefs will help you make flounder meat delicious and not spoil its structure. Among them:
- Defrost flounder fillets at room temperature. This will help get rid of excess fluid.
- Dry the fillets with paper napkins to get rid of moisture residues.
- Sprinkle the fillets with spices to get a golden brown crust.
- Use a hot skillet with a thick bottom that retains and dissipates heat. It is the uniform heating that will help to get a crispy crust.
- If you want to make breadcrumbs, take corn flour instead of the usual one.
How to carve flounder
Skinning is the most time—consuming process, requiring some effort and experience. To do everything correctly, follow the instructions:
- Place the fish on the cutting board with the dark side up. Make a semicircular incision in the area of the head
- Pry the skin with a knife. You need to release a piece of skin that you can grab with your fingers with a napkin
- Slowly separate the skin from the meat. The direction of movement is from the edges of the carcass to the center
- After removing the skin, rinse the fish again under running water.
What side of flounder do you cook first?
Many novice cooks are wondering which side to fry flounder in a frying pan. Remember that when frying fish, you should put a piece of the dark side down in the pan.
The taste of the finished dish will undoubtedly benefit from this. However, if you accidentally forget about this rule and fry the flounder with the light side, the texture of the dish will not change much.
How To Cook Flounder In A Pan
A whole fried flounder in a frying pan is a great idea for a delicious family dinner. To prepare such a dish, prepare the following ingredients:
- flounder – 700 grams
- fresh lemon – 1 piece
- salt and pepper – to taste
- vegetable oil – 100 ml
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Gut the flounder and remove the gills.
- Rinse the flounder under running cold water and dry thoroughly with paper napkins.
- Make shallow cuts on the fish on both sides. Rub the flounder with a small amount of salt, sprinkle with a mixture of ground peppers, as well as any favorite seasonings. Sprinkle lemon juice on top.
- Turn the fish carcass to the other side and do the same. Marinate the flounder for 15-20 minutes.
- Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet with a thick bottom. Heat it up and send the flounder to fry. Fry the dark side first. Set the fire on the stove to medium high heat, leave the fish fillets for 10-12 minutes.
- 6. Fry the second side in a similar way. Serve with fresh herbs.
How long to cook flounder on stove
The cooking time of the flounder plays an important role in the final result. Pay attention to the following points:
- The thickness of the product. If the flounder is thin, then roasting 8-9 minutes on each side will be enough.
- The age of the fish. If you bought fresh fish only caught from the sea, then the frying time is reduced by a couple of minutes.
- You can cook a pickled product a few minutes faster than a regular flounder. For such frying you will need about 10 minutes.
How to cook frozen flounder fillets in a pan
The technology of preparing frozen flounder fillets is slightly different from the usual recipe. Prepare the necessary ingredients:
- flounder – 1 kg
- vegetable oil – for frying
- butter – 1 tablespoon
- lemon juice – to taste
Cooking technology:
- Defrost the flounder at room temperature.
- Add a little vegetable oil to the cast iron skillet and put the flounder fillet there. Fry the fish until a crisp golden brown crust appears.
- Add butter and capers to the pan. Fry for another 5-7 minutes.
- Put the cooked fillets on a plate and sprinkle with lemon sauce from the pan. Serve with fresh parsley.
Pan fried flounder with flour recipe
Breaded flounder is a great option for dinner. For this recipe, you need to prepare bread crumbs, flour, chicken eggs, sunflower oil, salt, and of course the flounder itself.
The most important step is to prepare the breading. To do this, break the eggs into a plate and shake until smooth. Dip the flounder in the egg from all sides.
Then roll in bread crumbs and flour. Put the fish in a hot frying pan with refined sunflower oil and fry until golden brown.
Pan seared flounder with capers recipe
Lemon and caper sauce penetrates deeply into the fish and gives it a great taste. This dish will be a great addition to dinner. To cook it, you will need bread crumbs, capers, butter, olive oil, lemon salt, herbs and fresh flounder carcass.
The cooking flounder technology is simple: fry the fish in bread crumbs for 5 minutes on each side. Make a sauce of lemon juice and ground capers. Serve the flounder with this sauce and fresh dill.
Flounder with butter lemon butter sauce
Flounder with cream sauce is a very delicate, fragrant and delicious dish. If desired, you can add mushrooms or fresh vegetables to the sauce.
As the main ingredients, prepare flounder, cream, eggs, onions, butter, rosemary, lemon juice, and spices.
First, defrost the flounder at room temperature.
Then clean, rinse and dry the fish with paper towels. Rub the pieces of flounder with salt and spices, pour lemon juice and leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes. Next, roll the fish in flour or bread crumbs. Fry in a frying pan until tender. Serve with onion and sauce.
Flounder recipe in the oven
Another good and healthier way to cook flounder is to use an oven. This flounder recipe makes the dish tender and juicy. From the ingredients you will need sore fillets, garlic, lemon juice, brown butter, soy sauce, sugar and salt.
Wash the flounder fillets under running water, dry them with paper towels. Remove the fins and separate the skin. Squeeze the garlic through a garlic chopper or grate it on a fine grater.
Combine garlic, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar and salt. Add the remaining oil to the marinade and beat it until emulsified. Put the fish fillets in a heat-resistant shallow bowl, pour the marinade on all sides. Cooking time is 30 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit over medium heat.
What do you eat with flounder?
You can serve a large number of dishes with flounder. As with any white fish, potatoes and fresh vegetables are perfect. Pay attention to stewed vegetables – it can be boiled spinach, chard or broccoli, mashed green peas, baked tomatoes.
Orange, grapefruit or sour apples will also be an excellent side dish, masking the fat content of fish. Also, do not forget about serving flounder with fresh herbs – oregano, dill, basil, and thyme. Lemon zest or lemon wedges would also be a good option.
Sauces for flounder
Always serve a suitable sauce to the flounder. You can choose a classic tartare sauce, but it’s better to cook something more original. For example:
Cream sauce. This is a very delicate and original sauce, which adds a special piquancy to the nobility of red fish. For this recipe you need cream, butter, wheat flour, salt and pepper.
Sorrel sauce. The sauce with sorrel greens has a unique aftertaste. It will turn any fish dish into a masterpiece. It is necessary to cook immediately before use, since it is not stored for a long time. For this sauce, you will only need cream, sorrel, and flour.
Polish sauce. This is a piquant supplement that will improve fish with a low fat content. It is important to melt the butter properly, so choose a container with a thick bottom. Of the ingredients, you will only need an egg mixture, butter, lemon, and fresh tarragon.
Drinks for flounder
Choosing the right drink is also one of the options for improving the taste of flounder. Professional chefs advise choosing white wine or champagne. Red wine is more suitable for meat dishes.
Apple or grape juice is also a good option. The main thing to consider is the fact that flounder is a fatty fish product. You should choose a drink so as to reduce the caloric content of the product.
Storage rules
You can store fresh flounder without the slightest signs of corruption. You can check it by smell or by pressing on the skin with your finger.
The aroma of flounder should not contain unpleasant odors, and after force exposure, dents should not form on the surface. In the refrigerator, place the flounder on the lower shelves (the fish should be completely isolated from other food) So the shelf life can reach from 7-10 days. If you bought frozen flounder and it has melted, re-freezing is not possible.
When storing flounder, it is necessary to exclude its winding (if the surface of the fish has become sticky or a dull plaque has appeared on it, then the flounder has either already begun to deteriorate or is spoiled).
Final thoughts
Flounder is a good source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Thanks to this composition, nutritionists suggest eating such fish twice a week.
The main thing is to cook the flounder properly in order to preserve the delicate texture of the fish. Choose the right marinade and heat treatment, as well as the sauce. Do not forget to serve suitable side dishes and drinks to the flounder.
They should reveal the unique taste of the dish. Also, professional chefs advise you to pay attention to the side from which you start frying flounder. Don’t be afraid to experiment and create culinary masterpieces with this sea fish!