Cooking Louisiana  -  Stuffed Flounder
Stuffed flounder is naturally a South Louisiana favorite. It's a little trouble but boy is it all worth it! The barrier islands of Louisiana produce some great flounder as do the salt marshes.

Stuffed flounder recipe.

Stuffing - use can also use my stuffed crab recipe
3/4 lb. butter
1 lb. crab meat (you can use chopped shrimp or crawfish also)
1/2 cup chopped parsley (save several leaves for garnish)
3/4 cup green onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
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4 medium flounder
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Mix the following for your baste:
1/4 lb. melted butter
1 tsp. lemon juice
Hot sauce

Scale and clean flounder and wash. With a filet knife make a slit down the backbone then gently fillet meat away from the rib bones almost to the fins making a pocket. Puncture several holes through the ribs almost to the bottom of the flounder. Doing this will allow seasonings to penetrate the meat below the ribs [if you plan on eating that part... I do!].

Use heavy duty aluminum foil and make a boat for each fish. Coat the inside of each boat with cooking spray and set fish in each. Lightly sprinkle Creole seasoning and lemon juice in the pockets you made. Set this aside.

In a pan on a medium fire cook the crabmeat and onion in 1/2 lb. butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper and stir [don't let it burn]. When onions are clear add parsley, green onions, garlic and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. Stir, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from fire and allow to cool a few minutes uncovered.

Beat eggs and add to above along with bread crumbs; mix well. Sprinkle with Creole seasoning and mix.

Stuffed flounderYou'll bake these in the center rack of the oven. Light the oven and set to 375ºF.

Take the flounder and spoon the stuffing into the pockets. Place fish in oven and cook for 30 minutes. Baste twice while cooking.

Take out and cover pan for about 10 minutes, garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

If you choose to eat the meat below the rib bone pocket be aware that there are fin bones you should move away. You can then lift the entire backbone with ribs and dig in.