The deliciousness of flounder has impressed many gourmet diners, and in ancient China it was a common delicacy written by the literati. There are more than 700 species of flounder worldwide, and flounder is one of the most important.
Flounder has the characteristics of more meat and less thorns, which is suitable for consumption. Rich in vitamins, minerals and trace elements, it is delicious and nutritious, and the meat is tender and white, and the taste is impeccable.
Steamed flounder can best maintain the original umami taste of flounder without losing nutrition and taste.
In addition to steaming, today I introduce 4 methods that can also cook flounder with a different kind of tenderness.
01
Pan-fried flounder
Heat the butter in a frying pan. After the butter is lathered, of course, it is also possible to use olive oil, because olive oil and flounder are very well matched, and it takes about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) to cover the frying pan.
Place the fillets flat in a frying pan and fry for 2 minutes on each side. Fry for 2 minutes, then carefully flip each fillet and heat for another 2 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.
Most frozen flounder are skinned and sold, but if you buy it with a skin, remove the skin first.
When cooked, remove the fillets from the pan. Place the fillets on a plate and serve.
Season the fried fillets as needed. Flounder is a light, fresh fish that can be paired with simple spices. So you can squeeze lemon juice and season with salt and pepper as a simple condiment.
02
Fragrant grilled flounder fillets
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius /356 degrees Fahrenheit/gas label 4. Before grilling flounder fillets, make sure the oven is fully heated.
Place the fillets in a heat-resistant dish. Medium-sized crispy dishes are best suited for 4 fillets. Make sure that each has enough space and that they do not overlap at any point.
Cover the fish body and baking dish with a thin layer of oil or butter. Baking paper is also very effective, reducing the hassle of cleaning up after the fact.
Season the fillets in the oven to taste. Combine lemon juice, chopped parsley, sliced almonds and olive oil to taste
Bake the fillets uncovered for 10-15 minutes. The time depends on the size of the fillets, as well as the temperature of the raw material. When the fish is cooked, remove from the oven, let stand for 1 minute, then transfer to the serving dish.
At this time, make a cut in the middle of the fillet and observe whether the fish is cooked.
03
Flounder steak
Stir the eggs and milk together in a bowl and do an egg wash. Then mix the flour, salt and pepper together and prepare the breadcrumbs in another dish.
Start by dipping the fillets into the breadcrumb coating. Each flounder fillet is then dipped into the flour and the excess is shaken off. Each fillet is then immersed in the egg mixture. Finally, place the fillets into the breadcrumbs again and cover them completely.
Fry the first side of the flounder fillet for 2 minutes. Heat a frying pan over medium heat in olive oil. Place the fillets in a frying pan, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Flip the fillets after 2 minutes and fry the other side for another 2 minutes, or until both sides have a slight color.
When the crispy skin of the fillet is golden brown, remove the fillet from the pan.
Grilled flounder
Gently rinse the flounder with cold tap water and, if newly caught, remove any sand or gravel.
After rinsing, dry the flounder and pat it dry with a paper towel. This also helps prevent the fish from becoming hard or sticky when cooking
Cut off the flounder fins with kitchen scissors. It is possible to keep a tail and create an impressive appearance for the dish.
Cut the skin of the flounder with a kitchen knife. Make a long diagonal line along the spine, from which 6 diagonal slashes are separated, 3 on each side.
The incision should be deep, but not completely through the fish. About 1 cm (0.4 in) deep works well.
Brush the olive oil evenly over the whole fish and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
After brushing the oil and condiments, bake the flounder under a hot grill for 8-10 minutes. Place in a heat-resistant dish and grill over medium heat. A larger fish may take a few minutes.
During the grilling process, you don't need to flip the fish as it will heat evenly. Grilling fish over medium heat is best for fish. This is because too low a temperature cannot cook the fish adequately, but too high a temperature can cause the fish to be unevenly heated for a short period of time.
After cooking, lift the fish off the grill. Use a fish knife and a harpoon to pull apart the two fillets on the skeleton. Then you can simply remove the bone by gently relaxing like a zipper. This will leave two fillets on the plate and you can start enjoying it too.