I went back for round two with the flounder since my last experience was so delightful. I’ve never filleted a fish and I now understand and praise the efforts of the local fisherman who do this daily. While I am proud of my efforts and the outcome, let me just say, that was work—which is saying a lot for me. Maybe practice makes perfect? I certainly hope so. While my knife filleting skills need work, the fish was delicious and a very quick dish to prepare once filleted. I simply used olive oil and a few basic seasonings for flavoring. I paired the fish with some leafy beet greens and Swiss chard from Saturday’s trip to the market.
A glass of red and some homemade chocolate chip cookies also made for a wonderful finish to the day. Next up, I think I’ll try my hand at curing some fresh pork belly from the market. Wish me luck! Below is the recipe from the fish and tips of great sides if you decide the chocolate cookies must be skipped.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups raw Swiss chard
- 1 cup of raw beet greens
- 1-2 fillets of flounder (about 1/3 lb.)
- 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- ½ tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. rough chopped parsley
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. sea salt
- 2 tsp. coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- ¼ cup of water
Quick tip: I chop all of my greens and store them in gallon-sized Ziploc bags as soon as I buy it. This helps with meal prep during the week.
Quick Sides:
1 cup of quinoa with 1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms, 1 cup of chicken broth and herbs and seasonings of your choice. (2 servings)
1 cup of rice with 1 tbsp chopped cilantro and 1 tbsp of chopped flat leaf parsley cooked in chicken broth for more flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Directions:
- Google directions on filleting fish if using whole. (I did not and paid in time.)
- Wash and chop your greens into 1 inch thick pieces for quick cooking. Put greens in a medium-sized pot with the water, butter and half of the seasonings over medium heat.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat. It should sizzle when hot or you can test it with a drop of water. While the oil heats, season fish with half of the remaining pepper, salt and onion powder on one side.
- Once hot, place the seasoned-sized down and use the remaining seasoning on the other side. Let cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir greens and reduce heat.
- Flip fish and add parsley and squeeze lemon over the fish before topping the pan and turning off the heat. It will continue to cook.
- Check greens. They should be wilted and tender.
- Turn off heat and plate the fish and greens.
- Enjoy.