By David Tanis
- Total Time
- About 20 minutes
- Rating
- 5(363)
- Notes
- Read community notes
For savory, moist, delicate flounder, it is difficult to beat this fast, easy method. Lightly coat the fillets in flour, then dip them in a mixture of beaten egg and milk. Slide them into a hot skillet filled with oil to a ¼-inch depth and let them fry until golden, a mere two minutes or so per side, without jostling them around too much. Serve with a sauce of green garlic cooked in butter, with the juice of half a lemon providing a jaunty, bright finish. A sprinkling of chopped parsley makes for an elegant presentation, lifting an already elevated weeknight dish. Use fluke or sole in place of the flounder if you’d like, or scallions for the green garlic.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1½pounds boneless flounder or sole fillets, preferably 4 6-ounce pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 2large eggs
- ½cup milk
- ½cup all-purpose flour for dredging
- Mild olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓cup finely chopped green garlic, both white part and tender green stalks
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 3tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Lemon wedges
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
709 calories; 58 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 34 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 743 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Make the egg batter by whisking together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl, along with a pinch of salt.
Step
2
Put the flour on a plate. Coat each fillet lightly on both sides, then submerge the fish in the egg batter. (This can be done up to 30 minutes ahead.)
Step
3
Pour about ¼ inch oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil looks wavy, lift the fish from the egg batter one piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip off. (Discard remaining batter.) Carefully lay each fillet in the pan and let fry gently until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and blot briefly on paper towels, then transfer to a warmed serving platter.
Step
4
Pour off any remaining oil and return the pan to the heat. Melt the butter in the pan and add the green garlic, and a little salt and pepper. Let cook without browning for about 1 minute, then add the lemon juice.
Step
5
Spoon the green garlic butter over the fish. Sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately.
Ratings
5
out of 5
363
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Cooking Notes
Bernice Glenn
When green garlic isn't available, I would add 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced to the oil, and let it cook for a few minutes before adding the fish.
A lovely recipe, that in its simplicity, lets the flavor of the fish shine through.
T.M. Bennett
This cooked perfectly, as described. I found cryovac packaged frozen flounder at Whole Foods and dried fillets on paper towels in fridge. Supermarket fish counters often don't have much choice. I used scallions in sauce, but in the future would go with brown butter, capers and lemon. The fish cooking directions are the main thing here.
brooklynjen
Gayle, green garlic is young garlic that hasn't fully developed a head yet. I don't recommend sprouting regular garlic, as it will be bitter. Sorry!
Gayle
I have never seen "green garlic." Could you grow your own by setting a head in a small amount of water in a glass and waiting for green shoots to appear? This would not be a spur-of-the-moment recipe...
Jean
I love this! Have been doing a similar take with fresh haddock on the BBQ gas burner (they line up with their plates)at our summer cottage in NB, but did it backwards, first egg/milk and then flour, thanks for getting me on the right track. It is one of my family's "must haves".
Bill Ahlstrom
Spring garlic adds much to this fundamental recipe!
brooklynjen
tasty, but ended up being very rich between the frying and the butter sauce. The sauce was delicious but I think I'd prefer it on a lighter fish preparation. And overall, not worth the calories in my book.
Bonne-Esprit
Used T M Bennett suggestion of scallions and capers. Purchased the Flounder at Stop & Shop.
Stephen
Quick, easy and delicious, I didn't have green garlic...too lazy to drive to the co-op, so used a clove of garlic and some of flower stems from my chives, which are coming up in our Minnesota gardens right now. Perfect!
Pat
When green garlic isn't available, Add 1 clove of garlic, thinly or Scallions sliced to the oil, and let it cook for a few minutes before adding the fish.
UpstateDD
We are blessed to spend summers on Cape Cod where we have friends & family in the restaurant industry. I made this for an impromptu crowd dinner last summer & what a hit! I did use a mix of fresh garlic & chives because there wasn't green garlic in our little town grocery. The freshness of the fish prepared this way is lucious. I received an email today requesting I prepare it again this year the weekend we arrive!
Jennifer W.
My husband I both thought that the egg batter masked the flavor of the fish too much. Perhaps this recipe would be good with a fish that isn't too fresh, or inexpensive frozen fish to give it some more flavor. We had just purchased some great fluke, and in the end, wish we had kept it simple and skipped the egg batter.
Jen Y
For my lactose-intolerant husband, I subbed in unsweetened soy milk and Miyoko’s butter (Sigh. I know). Also added dill from our CSA. It came out delicious and didn’t miss the dairy!
PJ
Subbing heavy cream for milk here was the best pan-fry fish decision I’ve ever made. It came out incredibly lemony and rich.
Margalit
Very easy recipe but make sure you add plenty of lemon and a pat of butter. Made with cod for my fish averse husband.
Lisa G
Great weeknight recipe. We used shallots and also EVOO with smart balance for frying. Such a nice silky fish. Without garlic, the flavor was much milder but lovely.
Syma
Added capers to sauce.
Syma
Added a few capers to the butter and green garlic. Yum!!
Dawn
This was so delicious and so easy. i am teaching my husband how to cook after 33 years. He was able to do the entire recipe with just a little guidance. We didn’t have green garlic, so we used shallots. We used twice as many shallots as the recipe called for, so we also put a little white in the sauce. We followed the recipe exactly for everything else. Delicious. We will definitely make this again.
Peter G
I also found a mixture of regular garlic and thinly sliced shallots to be a suitable and tasty alternative to the green garlic.
Lisa G
I loved this dish, but it would be a bit too salty cooked as described. I used flour with a tiny bit of salt, fresh ground pepper and herbes de Provence. Then egg beaters and almond milk ( for my husband who requires low fat, low salt diet). No green garlic here but olive oil butter with capers and the fresh lemon juice. Wow, what a quick, easy by special dish!
grace
Absolutely delicious! No changes needed!!!
Rhonda
Perfect easy midweek meal ! I used flounder and 1 clove Trader Joe’s organic garlic instead of the green garlic as well of the juice of one organic lemon. Very tasty that even my elderly mother in law went for seconds .
Paula Seniors
This was so easy and delicious. I chopped up there garlic cloves, cooked them in butter with lemon and topped the fish with the sauce. Yum.
Maggie
Gollies this is good!
UpstateDD
We are blessed to spend summers on Cape Cod where we have friends & family in the restaurant industry. I made this for an impromptu crowd dinner last summer & what a hit! I did use a mix of fresh garlic & chives because there wasn't green garlic in our little town grocery. The freshness of the fish prepared this way is lucious. I received an email today requesting I prepare it again this year the weekend we arrive!
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