The recipe I'm offering you tonight is easy, economical, fast, and incredibly tasty: Flounder in Lemon Butter Sauce. I'm not a big fan of frozen fish, but sometimes it's just fine and speeds dinner preparation considerably. Frozen flounder, in particular, generally is less expensive than fresh and thaws in just a few minutes if you place it (still in it's plastic wrapping) in a bowl of water. A delicate fish, flounder doesn't need much to make it taste good. A light dusting of flour and a quick saute in a skillet, and you'll have a delicious main dish. Of course the lemon butter sauce, which is fortified with a little white wine, raises the bar and makes the dish restaurant-worthy. The fish is great served with rice or microwaved "baked" potatoes and a salad.
Flounder in Lemon Butter Sauce -- Serves 2
2-3 flounder fillets, thawed (about 8 ounces)
2-4 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of canola oil
3 tablespoons of butter, divided
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup of white wine (Chardonnay works well)
In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat the canola oil. On a clean plate dust the fillets with the flour on both sides and sprinkle them with the lemon pepper and salt. When the pan and oil are hot, add 1 tablespoon of butter, swirling it in the pan. Place the fillets in the pan and let them cook a few minutes until browned on one side. Flip the fillets and let them cook a few minutes on the other side. Remove the fillets to a clean plate. To the pan, add the lemon zest and juice and then the wine, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the fish. Let the mixture cook a few minutes and then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and stir it in. Add the fish fillets back to the pan, spoon some of the sauce over them, and serve them warm.
