Parmesan Baked Flounder (optional Lemon Dill Sauce recipe follows)
For added convenience, you may prepare the fish up to two hours before baking. Refrigerate, uncovered or very loosely covered, and then allow the fish to sit at room temperature while the oven is preheating. The recipe is also very easy to cut in half or double.
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
Will this recipe work with small/thin varieties of flounder: Sometimes, you will see very thin flounder fillets, sometimes called sole or fluke. These may be used but will cook more quickly. Recently, I bought 1½ pounds of flounder, which consisted of 5 very thin fillets. I cooked them until slightly underdone (about 7 minutes) and then switched the oven to broil and broiled on the top rack for a minute or two, watching very closely, to lightly brown the topping. Also, weight being equal, multiple thin fillets have more surface area than fewer thick fillets. In this case, I either double the topping ingredients OR I coat just the top of the fish with the Dijon-mayo and crumb mixtures.
Can I use a different fish altogether? 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.
*If desired, you may cut large fillets into individual servings before baking, although I tend to cook the fillets whole. They look pretty and are a little harder to dry out this way.
**Panko is lighter than dried breadcrumbs, so the weight if substituting will be 14 grams. Unseasoned breadcrumbs or panko may be used if that’s what you have. In that case, I add an extra pinch or two of salt and pepper and a generous sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning.
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