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Dinner & A Recipe: Stuffed Flounder
I made the most delicious dinner tonight!!!
It was the first official day of summer vacation from school for me. The last couple weeks of school are always crazy, so we've been eating lots of carry-out and pizza. I decided it was a good day to enjoy some of my extra time by cooking up a feast!! We ate out on the back deck, in the early-evening light that's still warm but the sunlight isn't direct, so it's cooling down after a hot day. It was a lovely way to greet the season. We ate mediterranean-style stuffed flounder, with a white wine-caper sauce, mashed potatoes, and a lovely green salad with an orange vinaigrette. Here's about what I did: Saute 1 diced onion in olive oil until soft. Add about 5 ounces diced mushrooms and saute until soft. Add 1 10-oz box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, along with about 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, 2T chopped parsley, 1t fresh thyme, 1 t fresh oregano, and 4 diced chives. (These came from my herb garden. I have a brown thumb; herbs seem to be the only thing I don't kill.) Saute for a few minutes to let the flavors blend and the spinach warm. Lay out your fish filets on a baking sheet lightly greased or sprayed. Put a big spoonful of filling in the middle. Crumble some feta cheese over it. Fold filets in half and top with a little more feta. Brush with olive oil. Bake at 375 for about 7 - 8 minutes, until fish flakes with a fork. Now, the sauce. It was good, but it wasn't what I was attempting to do. I wanted to make something like a white wine reduction, but although I simmered it for quite a while, it never really became sauce-like. More like a flavored butter. I used about 4 T butter, melted, about 1/2 c white wine, 2 T lemon juice, and some capers. I whisked everything together and cooked it on low for a while, and it tasted good spooned over the fish, but the consistency was simply that of melted butter, not quite as thick as I had hoped it would reduce to. I made the mashed potatoes with buttermilk, so they were nice and tangy. I made a salad of butter lettuce, grated raw zucchini, grated asiago cheese, and toasted hazelnuts. The dressing was olive oil, cider vinegar, orange juice, a little sugar and a little salt, and 2 minced chives. The fish was a concept that I think I saw on a restaurant menu once, but certainly not like something I've had. Around here (coastal waters along the Chesapeake Bay) most stuffed fish is stuffed with crabmeat. Of course that's delicious too, but I wanted to make somethng kind of greek with spinach and feta. I am really happy with the stuffing and I think it could become one of my show-off dishes. Nice way to start the summer!!! |
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Your recipe sounds great. Could you thicken the sauce with a little
thickening flour? It would not change the taste but with just a small amunt, thicken. Were your filets frozen or fresh? I live in California and will have to check the fish market for fresh flounder. I enjoyed your start off to hopefully a great summer. |
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On 15 Jun 2005 16:53:24 -0700, "Jude" > wrote:
>I made the most delicious dinner tonight!!! > You sure did. [nice recipe snipped] > >Now, the sauce. It was good, but it wasn't what I was attempting to do. >I wanted to make something like a white wine reduction, but although I >simmered it for quite a while, it never really became sauce-like. More >like a flavored butter. > >I used about 4 T butter, melted, about 1/2 c white wine, 2 T lemon >juice, and some capers. I whisked everything together and cooked it on >low for a while, and it tasted good spooned over the fish, but the >consistency was simply that of melted butter, not quite as thick as I >had hoped it would reduce to. You might try incorporating the butter after you've reduced the wine and lemon juice a little. Take the reduction off the heat and whisk the softened (not melted) butter into it, letting the residual heat do the melting for you. With luck, it'll thicken like a gravy. It has worked for me, anyway. > >I made the mashed potatoes with buttermilk, so they were nice and >tangy. > >I made a salad of butter lettuce, grated raw zucchini, grated asiago >cheese, and toasted hazelnuts. The dressing was olive oil, cider >vinegar, orange juice, a little sugar and a little salt, and 2 minced >chives. > >The fish was a concept that I think I saw on a restaurant menu once, >but certainly not like something I've had. Around here (coastal waters >along the Chesapeake Bay) most stuffed fish is stuffed with crabmeat. >Of course that's delicious too, but I wanted to make somethng kind of >greek with spinach and feta. I am really happy with the stuffing and I >think it could become one of my show-off dishes. > >Nice way to start the summer!!! Sounds like it. The stuffed flounder sounded delightful. Thanks for sharing it with us. modom Only superficial people don't judge by appearances. -- Oscar Wilde |
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"Jude" > wrote in message oups.com... > I made the most delicious dinner tonight!!! .. <Snip> > We ate mediterranean-style stuffed flounder, with a white wine-caper > sauce, mashed potatoes, and a lovely green salad with an orange > vinaigrette. > > Here's about what I did: <Snip delicious sounding recipe that I've already fwd'd on to my wife! Thanks.> > Now, the sauce. It was good, but it wasn't what I was attempting to do. > I wanted to make something like a white wine reduction, but although I > simmered it for quite a while, it never really became sauce-like. More > like a flavored butter. > > I used about 4 T butter, melted, about 1/2 c white wine, 2 T lemon > juice, and some capers. I whisked everything together and cooked it on > low for a while, and it tasted good spooned over the fish, but the > consistency was simply that of melted butter, not quite as thick as I > had hoped it would reduce to. Hmmmm, well personally, OI would have had all but the butter in the pan reducing, and when done down enough, added the butter cold, in pieces, and almost beaten it in until it was thick and shiny - that's how I make my white wine and crustacean shell reductions for prawn/shrimp/crab/langoustine etc. Yup, I've never put butter in before reducing (unless it's been used to sauté garlic/shallots/etc. in first, and then it I would use as little as possible, and still whisk in cold butter afterward - I'm no expert by a long shot (G help anyone thinks they are, heheh), but that's just how I've always seen it done?!?) Cheers muchly for the recipe - been looking for some new fish ideas ',;~}~ Shaun aRe |
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"modom" > wrote in message ... > On 15 Jun 2005 16:53:24 -0700, "Jude" > wrote: > > >I made the most delicious dinner tonight!!! > > > You sure did. > [nice recipe snipped] <G!> - My reaction too ',;~}~ <little snip> > >I used about 4 T butter, melted, about 1/2 c white wine, 2 T lemon > >juice, and some capers. I whisked everything together and cooked it on > >low for a while, and it tasted good spooned over the fish, but the > >consistency was simply that of melted butter, not quite as thick as I > >had hoped it would reduce to. > > You might try incorporating the butter after you've reduced the wine > and lemon juice a little. Take the reduction off the heat and whisk > the softened (not melted) butter into it, letting the residual heat do > the melting for you. With luck, it'll thicken like a gravy. It has > worked for me, anyway. My thoughts too - I can be a little hesitant to suggest things sometimes, as, well, it's only stuff I've read or seen 'on da TV', so I'm glad you said the same, heheh... ',;~}~ <snip> > >Nice way to start the summer!!! > > Sounds like it. The stuffed flounder sounded delightful. Thanks for > sharing it with us. > > > modom Yup! Gonna have to try this at home - Kath loves Greek style food, and we have plenty of flounder caught regularly around here (esp. just up the coast where they are known as 'Flukes', in/around/near a town called Flukesborough (Cumbria) - they (locals) often go out with the kids onto the sand flats 'paddling for flukes'). Shaun aRe -- May all your wishes be both wise and fulfilled. |
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Thanks for the advice on the sauce....I know what to try next time!
The flounder was frozen, but it was caught by my boyfriend's dad over the winter and frozen same-day, so it was top quality. Gotta get some fresh from him next time he takes the boat out. |
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"Jude" > wrote in message ups.com... > Thanks for the advice on the sauce....I know what to try next time! You're welcome - just picked up 'from da TV' like I said. You heard of Rock Stein BTW? My favourite English 'TV' chef when it comes to fish dishes (and a really *lovely* bloke - can't fault his passion for fish!). > The flounder was frozen, but it was caught by my boyfriend's dad over > the winter and frozen same-day, so it was top quality. Gotta get some > fresh from him next time he takes the boat out. Superb - bet it was delicious ',;~}~ Cheers! Shaun aRe |
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<<=A0I live in California
> =A0and will have to check the fish market for fresh flounder. You're more likely to find sole out here. =A0>> Something I learned when I moved he the fish sold as 'sole' is the same fish as the fish sold as 'flounder'. Apparently, it's a regional thing. Plus, it tends to cost more when it's sold as sole, and that's how it shows up at many restaurants. But I've been told by a few fishermen that it's the exact same fish. |
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On 16 Jun 2005 12:31:16 -0700, Jude wrote:
> Something I learned when I moved he the fish sold as 'sole' is the > same fish as the fish sold as 'flounder'. Apparently, it's a regional > thing. Plus, it tends to cost more when it's sold as sole, bingo! > and that's > how it shows up at many restaurants. But I've been told by a few > fishermen that it's the exact same fish. Yeppers - sole/flounder/turbot are mixed terms out here. http://www.divebums.com/FishID/Pages/sole.html Adding to the confusion and $$ http://www.pacseafood.com/products/flounder.html * California halibut, Paralichthys californicus, is actually a left-eyed flounder. * Pacific sanddab, Citharichthys sordidus, is a left-eyed flounder. PS: Have you ever been to the Monterey Aquarium? If not, put it on your "to do" list. There is an exhibit of live baby flounders - which is one of my favorites, second only to the jelly fish (breathtakingly beautiful). |
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