Pan Fried Flounder

Total: 15 min

Prep: 5 min

Cook: 10 min

Yield: 4

Level: Intermediate

Instructions

Wash fillets in cold water and pat dry. Salt and pepper rather heavily. Place the flour in a plastic bag and dredge fish in flour. Place the oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a flat, heavy-bottomed skillet and heat on medium high until butter melts. Keeping heat at medium-high, cook fish on one side 4-6 minutes, depending on size of fillets, until deep brown and crispy. Turn fish and cook on second side 3 to 5 minutes, until deep brown and crispy. Turn fish only once.

Remove fish to serving platter. Turn off heat. Into hot skillet, whisk in additional tablespoon of butter. Add lemon juice. Pour in capers, juice and all. Whisk until blended. Pour thin sauce over fish fillets. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve at once.

Serves 4 to 6, depending on size of fillets

Ingredients

4 flounder fillets, with skin on one side
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour for dredging
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola
3 tablespoons butter, divided
Juice of 1 lemon
1, 2 or 3 ounce bottle of capers, with juice
Chopped parsley for garnish

Step 1

1. Purchase flounder fillets with skin. I always buy one light and one dark fillet. Remove fish from wrapper, wash under cold water and blot dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper.

Photography by John Carrington

Step 2

2. Place about a half cup of all-purpose flour in a heavy-duty plastic bag with a zippered closing. Shake each fillet in the flour until all surfaces are coated with flour.

Step 3

3. In a flat, heavy-bottomed frying pan or an electric skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable (not olive) oil. This mixture should be medium hot when you add the fillets. Add the fillets flesh side down and cook until very brown, about 5-6 minutes.

Step 4

4. You can use a spatula to peek to see if the skin is the color of dark caramel. When it is, turn the fish to the skin side down and cook 4-5 minutes more, until the skin side is also very dark.

Step 5

5. Using a large spatula, remove fish to a serving platter. Turn off the heat in the pan.

Step 6

6. Into the pan, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and the entire 2-3 ounce jar of capers, with juice. (It won't matter, I promise, how many capers you add!) Add 1 tablespoon more of butter and whisk this into a smooth, thin sauce.

Step 7

7. Pour over the fish and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Step 8

8. Serves 4 (each person get a half fillet.)