Lemon, garlic, and a crispy crumb topping turn mild flounder into a dinnertime superstar. Easy enough for weeknight meals yet special enough for company.
The roots of this recipe lie in a quick weeknight meal I made often as a young mom. It’s also the dish I credit with making fish lovers out of my boys when they were toddlers.
I’d make a simple mustard mayo mixture and spread a thin coating over mild-tasting flounder. Then I’d sprinkle the fish with dried breadcrumbs or panko and grated Parmesan cheese.
What was essentially a homemade dijonnaise added light flavor and allowed the topping to stick. The topping, in turn, supplied a hint of crispness that complemented the tender, flaky fish. Served with a lemon wedge, which the boys enjoyed squeezing – and then chewing on to show how much they enjoyed (or could tolerate?) the sour flavor!
Over the years, I formalized the recipe, creating reliable measurements and adding garlic and lemon zest. Though I didn’t serve the flounder with a sauce in the early years, more recently I have begun offering a simple lemon dill sauce.
Purely optional, the sauce provides an extra layer of flavor and creaminess, and it fancies the fish up when entertaining. When the sauce mingles with other items on the plate, like broccoli, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, it adds complementary flavor to those items as well. And it takes about two minutes to pull together.
The amount of garlic used may seem generous, but when I first made this addition, my family and I enjoyed it and wanted more. The minced bits distribute themselves throughout the crumb topping and enhance rather than overwhelm. That said, if you don’t enjoy the flavor or it doesn’t fully agree with you, feel free to reduce or omit.
Can I prepare the fish in advance?
The topping mixture and optional sauce may be prepared up to a day in advance, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Once dredged in the topping, the fillets may be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to two hours.
Tips for scaling the recipe:
The recipe is easy to cut in half or even quarter for a single serving. Alternatively, it’s simple to double or triple it for a crowd. In this case, I line the fillets up on a large baking sheet. When buying the fish, ask for fillets with a similar thickness so they cook through at the same time. And if you find that some fillets are thinner than others or have a very thin end, simply fold the thinner parts under to mimic a consistent thickness.
What about leftovers?
Once cooked the fish is best enjoyed right away. Though the topping will lose its crispness, leftovers will still taste quite good; gently reheat and eat within three days.
Will baking the fish on a rack make the topping crispier?
Cooking the fish on a rack will allow air to circulate under the fish, so the bottom coating of crumbs will become as crisp as the top. I typically skip this step because the delicate flounder is more likely to break when removing it from the rack—and it’s more to clean! But you may use a rack if preferred.
Large versus small flounder:
Flounder fillets vary in size and thickness, depending on the species. Yellowtail flounder and fluke for example, yield thicker, broader fillets than gray sole. The latter is delicious, but the thin fillets will cook quite quickly. Similarly, the cooked meat of the smaller varieties will be very delicate and flaky, while that of the larger species tend to be slightly firmer and meatier.
My preference for this recipe is the larger, thicker fillets, because the comparatively longer cook time gives the topping time to brown. The day I took photos for this post, however, there were no large fillets to be found. When this happens, I like to switch the oven to broil when the fish is not quite cooked through, and broil for a minute or two, watching very closely, to lightly brown the topping.
Also note that, total weight being equal, multiple thin fillets have more surface area than one or two thick fillets. In this case, I double the topping ingredients OR I coat just the top with the Dijon-mayo and crumb mixtures.
What to do with leftover topping?
Inevitably, you will have some leftover topping. Better to have a bit too much than not enough. Once the fish has been dredged in it, it’s best not to keep it. However, I recently served roasted broccoli along with the fish, and I sprinkled the broccoli with the remaining crumbs (about ¼ cup per pound of broccoli) in the final 5 minutes of roasting at 425℉, and the broccoli tasted fabulous!
Can I use a different fish other than flounder in this recipe?
This topping will add flavor to a variety of fish, like halibut, tilapia, snapper, grouper, cod, catfish, and trout. Feel free to experiment with your favorite varieties, checking a little early and adding time, as needed, depending on the thickness of the fish.
What to serve with the fish?
I like to serve the Parmesan-coated fish with a green vegetable or salad and a starch like rice or potatoes. Sweet potatoes and winter squash provide a lovely alternative to the latter and add vibrant color to the plate. When extended family recently joined us for dinner, I served the flounder with Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Winter Squash. Asiago Asparagus offers a lovely seasonal alternative in the green vegetable department. Or opt for super speedy Blistered Green Beans.
Prefer to keep the rest of the cooking on the stovetop? The optional sauce will add a hint of flavor to rice, and Black Rice is perfect when you want simple but special. Similarly, Green Beans Almondine never disappoint, nor do Quick Collard Greens. For something fully make-ahead, choose a salad with a hearty green, like Everyday Kale Salad, Fall Slaw, or Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad.
For a last-minute extra at that recent family dinner, I made Parmesan Garlic Bread with leftover slider rolls (so good and a real cinch, especially when you make the easy spread in advance). We had Honeycrisp Apple Crisp for dessert!
As mentioned, the Lemon Dill Sauce adds a light, bright note that will complement most simple side dishes as well as the fish. Mash some into a baked potato or stir a spoonful into other simple sides, such as rice, for the added flavor. You can even dip your broccoli and other vegetables in it.
This quick-cooking, family-friendly fish dish pairs well with a wide range of sides, from a simple salad and roasted vegetables to potatoes or rice. Pictured below with Quick Collard Greens.
I’d love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛
Parmesan Baked Flounder (optional Lemon Dill Sauce recipe follows)
Ingredients
- Olive oil or olive oil spray
- 1½ to 2 pounds large flounder (1-2 fillets)*
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons (22g) Dijon mustard
- 1½ tablespoons (20g) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (40g) grated Parmesan
- ¼ cup (28g) seasoned dry breadcrumbs (may sub seasoned Panko** and use gluten-free as needed)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 5-6 cloves)
- Zest of 1 lemon plus wedges for serving
- Optional for serving: Easy Lemon Dill Sauce (separate recipe card follows)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray or coat a large baking sheet or dish with oil. Lightly season both sides of the flounder with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the Dijon and mayo, and then spread an even layer over both sides of the fish. (It’s a thin layer that adds a hint of flavor and moisture while allowing the topping to stick.)
- In a medium bowl, combine the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Prep ahead tip: Parmesan mixture may be combined up to a day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Same goes for the Dijon mixture in the previous step.
- Spread the crumbs over a large plate and dredge both sides of the fish in the crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat. (You may have a little leftover on the plate depending on precise amount of fish used; tip for what to do with it included in the post above.) Prep-ahead tip: Once dredged, the fish may be refrigerated, uncovered, for up to two hours.
- Place the fish on the prepared baking sheet and mist the top with olive oil spray (or evenly drizzle with a tablespoon or so of oil). Bake until the topping is lightly golden and the fish is just cooked through—it will be flaky and opaque in the center—about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish. (See notes for cooking thin fillets.) Check a few minutes early, and don’t hesitate to cut into the fish to check for doneness. If it’s still somewhat translucent in the center, it needs a little more time.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing overtop.
Notes
Lemon Dill Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup (104g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice* (plus an extra squeeze to taste)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt) and several turns of the pepper mill
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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