Flounder
Attributes
Firm white meat, delicate flake, fine texture, mild flavor. Lean fish.
Substitutes
Red Snapper.
How Much to Buy
Whole or drawn fish: 3/4 to 1 pound per serving.
Dressed or cleaned fish: 1/2 pound per serving.
Fillets or steaks: 1/4 to 1/3 pound per serving.
Buying, Storage and Handling
Remember to purchase seafood last and keep it cold during the trip home.
Fresh whole fish should have:
-- A shiny surface with tightly adhering scales.
-- Gills that are deep red or pink, free of slime, mucus and off-odor.
-- Clean shiny belly cavity with no cuts or protruding bones.
-- A mild aroma, similar to the ocean.
Fresh steaks, fillets and loins should have:
-- A translucent look.
-- Flesh that is firm and not separating.
-- A mild odor, similar to the ocean.
-- No discoloration.
-- Packaging that keeps them from being bent in an unnatural position.
Preparation
Keep raw and cooked seafood separate to prevent bacterial cross-contamination.
After handling raw seafood thoroughly wash knives, cutting surfaces, sponges and your hands with hot soapy water.
Always marinate seafood in the refrigerator.
Discard marinade; it contains raw juices which may harbor bacteria.
When marinade is needed for basting reserve a portion before adding raw seafood.
Cooking
The general rule is 10 minutes per inch of thickness, at the thickest part of the fillet or steak, at 400-450 degrees F.
If fish is cooked in parchment, foil or a sauce, add 5 minutes to the total cooking time.
Fillets less than 1/2 inch thick do not need to be turned during cooking.
Fish cooks quickly. Do not overcook.
Fish is done when the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Poaching, steaming, baking, broiling,
sautéing, microwaving are excellent
low-fat cooking
methods, if you do not add high-fat ingredients.
Marinate in your favorite salad dressing prior to cooking.
Broil, bake, steam or microwave, then cube and add to pasta or salad greens for a delicious salad.
Broil or grill with lime-butter and seasoned salt.
Oil the grill to prevent fish from sticking.
Bake whole fish with a crab or shrimp stuffing.
Add leftover fish in broken pieces to salads, soups or sauces.
Nutrition
Nutritional values for approximately 4 ounces (114 grams) of raw, edible portions
| Calories | 100 | |
| Calories From Fat | 10 | |
| Total Fat | 1 | g |
| Saturated Fat | 0 | g |
| Cholesterol | 70 | mg |
| Sodium | 55 | mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 0 | g |
| Protein | 0 | g |
| Vitamin A | 0 | %DV |
| Vitamin C | 0 | %DV |
| Calcium | 0 | %DV |
| Iron | 2 | %DV |
| Omega-3 Fatty Acid | 0.21 | g |
