Pan Fried Flounder the Way My Mom Made It
Yesterday, I posted an interview with Danish celebrity chef and cookbook author Trina Hahnemann about her new cookbook, The Scandinavian Cookbook, as well as how to be a better home cook. It is a wonderful read with some great tips on how to approach cooking in your own personal way. The interview covers a lot of ground so I suggest you check out my Interview with Trina Hahnemann.
One of the recipes I fondly remember my Danish mom cooking is Pan-fried Flounder with Potatoes and Parsley. My dad would grow red potatoes in his garden and just before dinner go out and dig up some young ones we called new potatoes. Because the skin is thinner than what you find on older potatoes, they were seldom peeled.
My mom would boil them until tender and serve them with pan-fried flounder. Some weekends down at the Jersey shore when the Barnegat Bay was full of flounder, we would enjoy fresh, hour-old fish after going out on my Uncle Walt’s boat. I like Trina’s method of preparing the potatoes better than my mom’s (but I wouldn’t admit that to my mom).
Thank you Trina and I urge everyone to read my interview with Chef Hahnemann.
Pan Fried Flounder with Potatoes and Parsley
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds new potatoes try fingerling potatoes if you can find them
- salt and pepper
- 4 flounder filets
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 9 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup fresh parsley minced
Garnish for Serving
- 1 lemon sliced
- 4 sprigs dill
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Remember to put the potatoes in cold water, let them come to a boil and cook until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and let them cool down, then peel them (or not if they are new potatoes).
- Rinse the flounder under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Coat each flounder filet in flour being sure to shake off any excess flour or it will burn in the pan and make a mess.
- Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet or fry pan big enough to hold all 4 flounder filets. If your pan is not big enough, use two pans or cook in batches. Pan-fry the fish for about 5 minutes on each side or until the filets are golden brown. If cooking in batches, be sure to keep the cooked filets warm while you finish the rest.
- Here you can use another pan to finish the potatoes or remove the fish to a plate and keep warm. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan, add the potatoes and sauté a minute or two. Add the minced fresh parley and stir to coat.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste and serve immediately with the flounder topped with slices of lemon and dill sprigs.
- This is so simple to prepare and extremely delicious especially if the potatoes and fish are ultra fresh.
I’ve always liked pan fried fish with Potatoes and Parsley.
Very simple dish, but it’s nice to learn the right way to do it. when I tried to duplicate my mother’s, I put the parsley in at the wrong time and it was never quite right. Thanks
Simple and delicious, my kind of meal. Thanks for visiting and commenting. – RG