WHOLE FLOUNDER STUFFED WITH LOUISIANA SHRIMP

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hour 30 mins

Recipe by: George Graham
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 (2-pound) whole flounders, cleaned with a large pocket cut in the center
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• ½ cup diced green bell pepper
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Dash of hot sauce
• Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
• 2 pounds (16-20-count) raw Louisiana shrimp, shells removed
• 1 cup fresh unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1 whole lemon, sliced thin

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Place the flounders on parchment-lined trays. Rub the skin with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper in the inside of each pocket.
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté until the onion turns translucent and then add the parsley, rosemary, garlic, and ginger. Continue cooking to combine the herbs and add lemon juice and vermouth. Season the mixture with smoked paprika, hot sauce, and a light sprinkle of Cajun seasoning. Remove from the heat.
4. Place the shrimp on a cutting board. Reserve a few of the whole shrimp to garnish the top of the stuffing on each flounder. Chop the rest of the shrimp in smaller bite-size pieces. Add the chopped shrimp to the mixture stirring to combine. Add only enough breadcrumbs a little at a time to reach the desired consistency of a moist stuffing. Set aside to cool.
5. To assemble the dish, spoon the stuffing mixture into the pocket of each flounder. Place a few of the shrimp on top of the stuffing. Season the fish with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a light sprinkle of paprika. Add lemon slices to the top of the fish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish easily flakes at the touch of a fork.
6. For serving, use two spatulas to gently move each flounder to a platter being careful not to break off the tail section. Serve with crusty French bread.

NOTES
If you live outside of coastal Louisiana, you can buy your seafood online at the Louisiana Direct Seafood SHOP. I call for larger 16-20-count shrimp since I top the flounder with whole shrimp, but if you can only find smaller shrimp, the recipe will work fine. I like shrimp in this stuffing recipe, but crabmeat, crawfish, or oysters would be delicious, as well. Add only enough breadcrumbs to combine the mixture, but remain moist.