It’s easy to think of lemon as a traditional accompaniment to fish. But when lemon gets paired with Dijon mustard, it’s a match made in savory heaven! This recipe takes flounder from belly flop to an entrée that is sure to make a splash! (Oh how corny!) This recipe could really work well on just about any white fish like cod or tilapia, as well as on salmon so get creative! You’ll see that I made what seems to be feast, but flounder pieces are SO thin that each person could really have two pieces. You may also be wondering why I’ve cooked up so many portions when this blog is about cooking for that “someone special”… it’s because someone special doesn’t always have to be your honey! It could be your family, your friends, or you! This flounder recipe literally takes about 20 minutes from start to finish and is absolutely divine! I served it with mixed sautéed veggies but you could pair it with any sides you like—rice pilaf, string beans, salad… get crazy!
This recipe is for 4 servings:
Note: if you are using a bigger/thicker piece of fish (say salmon or cod) you will only need 4 pieces
8 flounder filets
2 tbsp of Dijon mustard (whichever is your favorite variety, I love a real grainy stone ground)
3 to 4 tbsp of butter
Zest of half a lemon
Juice of half a lemon
2 sprigs of thyme, finely chopped for garnish
Salt and Pepper
First things first- let the butter come to room temperature. This will allow the mixture to become like a paste that you can slather all over your fish filets. If you really just can’t wait to get your taste buds into this pool of lemon mustard buttery goodness (or you just don’t have time to sit around and watch butter go from a solid cold stick so a creamy bar of guilty pleasure) you can always microwave it 10 seconds at a time until you reach the desired consistency. DON’T melt it all the way! You want to be able to work it with your hands and spread it onto the fish (almost as if you were spreading cream cheese on a bagel).
Combine the first 4 ingredients, and a dash of pepper in a bowl and whisk or mix together to form the coating for your fish (that eventually becomes the delicious steamy sauce as it cooks up and melts in the oven!)
Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a sheet try or baking dish and lay out your pieces of fish, giving them a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then slather each filet with an equal amount of your mustard mixture and pop them in the hot tub (ok oven) at 350 for about 10 minutes (probably even less). This time may vary depending on your oven; check in on them about 5 minutes through. You will know they are ready when they become completely opaque and are flaky and tender when you prod them with a fork. Once you take them out of the oven, sprinkle your chopped thyme over the top of each piece. Thyme has a great earthy/lemony flavor to it and it takes the fish to a whole new level.
You can serve the fish right from pan to plate—or for a really nice preparation, place the fish filets on a platter and pour the sauce in the pan over top, then sprinkle with thyme.
Sounds banginnn!
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