I know I (Becca) am constantly hearing about the health benefits of fish, both for us as adults, and our growing children, and this is an amazingly delicious way that my whole family loves to eat our fish. Even though we live about as far away from the ocean as you can get, there are plenty of good wild caught, frozen options. I've chosen to use wild Alaskan flounder here, due to its relatively low cost & low 'fishy' flavor, as well as easy accessibility. If I can get it in my small-town Arkansas grocery store, I'm sure you can find it in your town also. As an added bonus, it is on the low mercury list that is healthy to eat 2-3 times per week, even for pregnant or nursing women & small children. You might notice that tuna, as well as some other fairly common fish are not, just FYI. That being said, feel free to substitute your family's favorite fish. Just prepare it according to the package instructions, and a minute or two before it's completely finished, add the delicious topping and finish off under the broiler. Add some of my Buttery Lemon Pepper Parmesan Noodles and a steamed vegetable, and you have a restaurant quality meal ready in no time, for a fraction of the cost & calories! Everyone asked for seconds on the fish, which makes it a definite winner in my book!
Creamy, Parmesan-Topped Flounder
1 pound frozen flounder fillets (this was 6 thin pieces in my bag from Sam's Club)
2/3 cup 'real' grated parmesan cheese (not the powdery stuff in the can)
1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I use Kraft with Olive Oil)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice (I use the green bottled kind)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake fish on foil-lined baking pan until just nearly done, approximately 10 minutes. It should be not translucent, and easily 'flake' with a fork on the thinner portions for sure before adding the topping.
Meanwhile, combine all topping ingredients in a small bowl (parmesan, mayo, lemon juice, basil, pepper, and garlic powder). Stir well to combine. When fish is nearly finished baking, remove it from the oven and use the back of a spoon or spatula to gently spread the topping evenly among the pieces of fish.
Turn the broiler on and move the oven rack to the top position. Return fish to the oven until topping is bubbling and starting to brown, and fish is completely cooked through, approximately 5 minutes; even the thickest parts should flake easily with a fork.
Serve, and enjoy!!
Although I've changed it pretty drastically, this recipe was my inspiration:
AWESOMENESS... I've had this, and it is fantastic... Alright, I have to confess, this is Becca's husband, and I was there for the product test phase for this recipe. I stand behind it... Great stuff, Sam
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the article on mercury levels in fish. I was glad to see tilapia made the low level list too since it is one i cook often. I will have to try flounder and this recipe.
ReplyDeleteBecca - Sam's comment made me laugh. I am definately going to make this. Thanks for posting. Also, thanks for the tip on mercury. I had wondered about it. Bronwen and I eat tuna about once a week for lunch. She loves it, but the thought of mercury had crossed my mind. I think we will lay off the tuna now. I do have a question though and it may be a dumb one. Sorry, for my ignorance in advance. We try to incorporate fish into our weekly meal plans, but I have had a very hard time doing this lately because all the frozen fish I find in the grocery stores are from China, and I refuse to buy grocery products from China (mostly due to all the issues with their products in past few years). Now having said that is Alaskan Flounder from Alaska or is that just the name of it? I need to find some good quality fish for us. We usually prefer tilapia, or salmon, but if the Alaskan flounder is from the US it would be worth switching. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteLynda - we like tilapia also, I just happened to have flounder this week :)
ReplyDeleteTrish, his comment made me laugh too, he does love the fish, I've made it for several years.
Totally not an ignorant question, especially after I just checked my bag of Alaskan Wild Caught Flounder, which does mean that it was caught in Alaska in the wild, but it says in small writing on the back that it was "harvested in Alaska, filleted & packaged in China." So.....while that is definitely far better (in my opinion) than anything 'from' China or farmed from anywhere, it has still been cut & packaged in China.
I think the main problem for us living here in land-locked Arkansas, is that to get any kind of fresh fish, or anything truly caught in the wild, from the US, is going to be difficult to find, and super expensive. I know there are some online ordering places that will send it overnight, but the shipping alone is out of my budget. I haven't checked out the local meat market though, that might be an option??
Forgot to sign my name above, but that was Becca replying :)
ReplyDeleteThis looks good, it's hard to find fish recipes-I'm going to have to try this one. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI think you'll like it; we actually had it this week & I had the leftover for breakfast it's so good, ha! Becca
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