Baked Flounder

Copyright 2013 LtDan'sKitchen blogs

I was going through the fish aisle in the grocery store when I spotted this rather flat looking fish which after asking the fishmonger was what I thought it was, a flounder. I  asked my Dad if he wanted to try it and he said , "No!" My Dad has a thing for the bigger species of fish, he prefers them small. 

The following day however, I spotted the same fish in the other grocery store that I frequent and right there and then, I bought two of them to cook for the November 1st celebration instead of the usual pork or meat dishes that we serve. The question now is, how to cook it. Flounder are sold fileted in the grocery stores back in the US. I have the real deal so I need to find a good way to cook it other than to fry it which was a suggestion by the fishmonger. 

After browsing through the internet, I found a simple recipe that lends an Italian flair to the dish. Baked in nothing more than olive oil, tomatoes and a few herbs and spices, I knew I found my recipe. 

Baked Flounder - Adapted*

2 lbs flounder, gutted and descaled
1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp basil leaves, julienned
juice of one lemon
1/4 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper
olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil
    leaves, Herbes de Provence and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. 
    Drizzle in about 2 tbsp of olive oil and transfer to a lined baking sheet.

2.  Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, season 
     the fish with salt and pepper on both sides.

3. Lay the fish on top of the pre-baked tomatoes and drizzle with more olive 
    oil. Return into the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes.  Check if 
    the fish is cooked through. Otherwise, bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.

4. To serve, transfer the fish into a large serving platter and spoon the 
    tomatoes and the sauce on top. Garnish with a drizzling of more olive oil 
    and more julienned basil leaves. 

*Bon Appetit: Baked Flounder with Tomatoes and Basil.