Savory Crab-Stuffed Flounder with Hollandaise Sauce

Crab-Stuffed Flounder

Flounder is a mild, flat fish that is often stuffed. Lump crab meat makes for an excellent stuffing as it just adds to the flavor of the fish. In order to ensure that the fish isn't dry, we made a quick, homemade hollandaise sauce to accompany it as well as the asparagus that we served with it. This is really a fairly simple dish, but is certainly something that could be made for an elegant dinner or even to feed a crowd.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Flounder Filets approximately 2 pounds
  • 1 cup Lump Crab Meat
  • 1/2 cup Panko or Bread Crumbs
  • 1 large Egg
  • 2 tbsp Red Onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Celery finely chopped
  • 1 clove Garlic minced
  • 6 tbsp Butter softened
  • 1 tbsp Thyme finely chopped
  • 2 pinches Old Bay Seasoning
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, add the celery and onion and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • In a bowl, combine the lump crab meat, panko, egg, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, and a pinch of Old Bay. Use your hands to make sure that the stuffing is fully mixed.
  • Heat an oven to 375 degrees.
  • Lay the flounder flat and put 1/4 of the stuffing in the center of each filet. Roll the flounder around the crab stuffing and place on a baking sheet with the ends of the fish, where it overlaps, facing down. Spread butter over the top of the fish and sprinkle with a pinch of Old Bay seasoning.
  • Cook the fish for 30 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Serve with prepared hollandaise sauce and vegetable of your choice.
Keyword crab, flounder, stuffed

Arctic Char with an Asian-Inspired Glaze and Tangy Spinach

When we were in Iceland, one of the things that we ate that hadn’t tried before was arctic char. It is a fish that is similar to salmon or trout, but it has a slightly different texture and taste. Because it is the type of fish that can stand up to bold flavors, we decided to create a soy, sesame, citrus marinade to glaze the char. Ensuring that the skin gets nice and crispy adds to the flavor as well as provides a different textural component to the fish. We served it with fresh baby spinach that we pan-seared in oil and seasoned with crushed red pepper flakes. It was a perfect accompaniment to the glazed arctic char.

Sautéed Spinach with Red Pepper Flakes

INGREDIENTS

  • 1lb Arctic Char – cut into two filets
  • 4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
  • 4 tsp Honey
  • 1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Orange Juice
  • 1 lb Fresh Baby Spinach – stems removed
  • 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes – more if you’d like more heat
  • 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Soy, Sesame, Citrus Marinade

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and orange juice until the honey is fully dissolved and the sauce is thoroughly mixed. Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and place them, skin-side up, in a baking dish and pour the marinade over the fish and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes in order to let the fish absorb the flavors. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the baby spinach. Cook the spinach until fully wilted, about 5 minutes, and stir in the red pepper flakes and season generously with salt. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat to medium-high heat. Place the fish in the skillet, skin-side up, and cook for about 4 minutes and it releases easily and the flesh is slightly browned. Flip the fish to skin side down and add the marinade over the fish. Cook the fish for another 5 to 6 minutes and the skin is crisp while continuously basting with the marinade in the skillet using a spoon. To serve, plate the spinach and the place a filet of arctic char on top of the spinach.

Pan-Seared Arctic Char
The Plated Arctic Char with Tangy Spinach

Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese – An Adult Take on a Childhood Classic

We love lobster and we love cheese, so having lobster mac ‘n’ cheese was an obvious choice for us to make. We have had it served in different restaurants during our travels, including during our visit to the England. It is easy to make, but with most meals, the fresher the ingredients, the better. In today’s global world, it is possible to get many things delivered overnight and that is true for getting fresh lobster as well. Despite the simplicity of the dish, it is certainly something that can be served for a more formal meal. You can cook it in a baking dish, but we chose to bake it individual bowls to make serving it that much easier. Not only was it super delicious that night for dinner, it was just as wonderful as leftovers the following day.

Fresh Lobster

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb Cooked Lobster Meat – cut into bite size chunks
  • 2/3 lb Elbow Macaroni – cooked slightly al dente and drained
  • 22 oz Heavy Cream
  • 8 oz Milk
  • 6 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 8 oz Gruyere Cheese – shredded
  • 6 oz Extra-Sharp Cheddar Cheese – shredded
  • 2/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/3 tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/3 tsp Nutmeg – grated
  • 1 cup Panko or Bread Crumbs
  • Salt to taste
Gruyere and Cheddar Cheeses

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Heat the cream and milk in a microwave until hot, but not to a boil. Slowly add the cream and milk while continuing to whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the gruyere and cheddar cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in the macaroni and lobster until everything is evenly coded in the cheese sauce. Add to oven-safe, individual bowls that have been sprayed with cooking spray for easier cleanup (or baking dish). Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and mix with the panko. Evenly cover each of the bowls with the panko mix and then place them in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the panko is evenly browned.

Everything Mixed Together
Individual Bubbly and Browned
Digging In to the Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese