Flounder Francese - Bob's Way
Flaky fish, wilted spinach, and restaurant-grade rich lemon wine sauce – at home! This dish is "fancy," but really easy and fast!
"I’m strong to the finish cause I eats my spinach. - I’m Popeye the Sailor Man!"
Ingredients:
- 8-10 Flounder fillets (about 2 per eater)
- 1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil
- 2 lemons (one thinly sliced, one squeezed for juice)
- Zest of one lemon
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 pound baby spinach
Instructions:
- WASH your fish and PAT DRY with a paper towel.
- PREPARE two shallow bowls for dredging. The first should contain flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and the zest from one lemon. The second should have two beaten eggs.
- BOIL two cups of water in a large pot with a steamer basket inside.
- PREHEAT oven to 250°F.
- HEAT canola oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- DREDGE fillets in the flour, SHAKE off excess, and DIP into the egg.
- PLACE immediately into your hot oiled pan and COOK until golden brown on one side, approximately 2-3 minutes. DO NOT DISTURB fish while cooking to keep the coating crispy.
- TURN the fillet carefully and BROWN the other side in the same way, without disturbing the fish after turning.
- TRANSFER fillets from the pan to a large oven-proof platter. STORE in the oven to keep warm while you sauté the remaining fillets.
When all fillets have been sautéed and are warming in the oven...
- DROP spinach into the steaming pot with a steamer basket and cover.
- ADD the juice of 1 lemon and white wine to the pan you have been sautéing the fish in, over medium heat. SCRAPE up the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. COOK until it starts to bubble.
- MAKE a slurry with 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. STIR slurry into the sauce, along with capers and lemon slices.
- CONTINUE to cook for about a minute or until the sauce begins to thicken slightly. REMOVE from heat.
- CHECK on your spinach. If it appears to be cooking unevenly, TOSS it with tongs to expose the raw leaves to the steam.
- PLATE your meal. Using tongs, PLACE a serving of spinach in the center of each plate. TOP the spinach with two fillets, perpendicular and slightly overlapping. SPOON sauce over the fish and spinach. GARNISH with a cooked lemon slice. SERVE immediately.
Fisherman's Tip: Flounder fillets are distinctively small, so we usually serve 2 per person.
Kitchen Time: 25 minutes
In Season: Year-round
Serves: Dinner for 4 (estimate 2-3 fillets per eater, less than 1 pound)
Copyright @2012 Laura Blackwell
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