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Jude
 
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Default 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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modom
 
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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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Shaun aRe
 
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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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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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Jude
 
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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.

  #7 (permalink)   Report Post  
Shaun aRe
 
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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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Jude
 
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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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sf
 
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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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