Flounder
Paralichthys · Fish
Top 10 pairings
Flounder is a broad, flat-bodied bottom-dwelling fish — one of several flatfishes of the order Pleuronectiformes, with the large-tooth flounders of the genus Paralichthys among the most important food species — prized for thin, mild, gently sweet white fillets that turn opaque and flake in moments. Inexpensive, lean and endlessly forgiving, it is a kitchen workhorse: pan-fried in butter, stuffed and baked, or battered for fish and chips.
Picking a good onedrag
Just landed: eyes bulging, seaweed-freshOff: soft, smelling sour or fishy
Counter freshEveryday bestCook to 63 C / 145 F, until it flakes with a fork; thin fillets get there in moments. Previously frozen can lag on eyes and press but must smell fresh and mild.
Eyes and gills, whole fishEyes slightly sunken; gills paler, slime clear
Skin, or a fillet's cut faceSkin not lustrous, slime cloudy; edges still clean
Press the fleshLess elastic, still springs back
Smell at gills, belly or filletNeutral and mild, no seaweed left