Find a Flounder
Whenever you catch or buy a good flounder, make sure you eat it right after you catch it, or make sure you buy it in very good condition. There should be no fishy smell. Because these fish are flat and the two eyes of the adults are sunken in the upper part of the head. They spoil quickly, the meat should be salvageable when you prepare it, the eyes should be clear, and the throat should be shiny.
How to Fillet a Flounder
If you clean flounder like other fishes, you may not realize that you are wasting a lot of meat. But if you stuff them the way I’ve described in the steps, you’ll get the most meat out of them.
The key here is to cut two fillets on each side.
By sliding the knife along the ribs both above and below the spine, you will achieve maximum relaxation.
Here are the steps:
- Starting at the bottom, make a cut along the side of the gut cavity as you will want to remove the insides when the flounder is fully cooked. Cut the fish, starting at the head and going at a slight angle down the spine to a point just below the pectoral fin.
- Keeping the knife flat against the frame, work the blade against the bones starting at the head and working down the spine.
- Make a cut from the spine to the top of the incision made earlier (where the bowel will be removed). Hold the flat part with your other hand and lift it up to make access to the frame easier.
- Apart from the flat frame. Be careful to keep a delicious queue. It can be cooked as part of the steak or removed and cooked separately.
- Flip the flounder at a slight angle to meet the spine, repeating the exercise starting with the cut with the head.
- Run the knife at a flat angle, removing the meat from the frame.
- Cut along the length of the head and then continue working the meat from the spine, working on the other side of the frame, peeling back the fillet with the thumb and forefinger of your left hand.
- The end result: two clean, thick steaks with very little meat on the frame.
Video:
Starch and Spray
Coat your clean, dry fish with a thin layer of starch. You can use potato starch or cornstarch for this purpose, I used potato starch. All you have to do is sprinkle the starch on the fish and don’t make a cake out of it. Spray a baking dish with canola oil, add your fish, then drizzle the top of the fish with canola oil.
Season
Now sprinkle any kind of seasoning on the flounder according to your choice and taste. The spices you add will make a nice strong flavored spice.
Broil
Place your pan under the hot broiler, and let the fish cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the top skin is browned and crisp. The wings will also be crispy. If you are cooking for the first time, you can judge doneness when the thickest part can be easily pierced with a fork or thin knife. It’s always better to undercook than overcook flounder.
Serve
After the fish is cooked, serve it hot with lemon. Provide a bone bowl, as there may be small bones to remove.
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