WHOLE STUFFED FLOUNDER W/ CRABMEAT DRESSING

Whole Stuffed Flounder W/ Crabmeat Dressing image

Provided by Linda Woodham

Categories Fish

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 17

4 flounders (small to med) if you can't get whole flounder, filets will work.you will need 8
PREPARE YOUR FISH
you want whole flounder,cleaned w/o head - put fish on cutting board top side up-cut down the middle from top to 2-inch from tail.you want to cut to the bone,remove bone, then peel back both sides of fish
CRABMEAT DRESSING
6 c fresh bread crumbs (not packaged)
1/2 c onion minced
1/2 c bell pepper chopped fine
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp creole seasoning ( i use tony's)
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1 lb lump crab meat or 4 cans white lump crabmeat
LEMON, GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE
1 1/2 stick butter (not margarine)
2 Tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp lemon zest, grated
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Steps:

1. DRESSING:
2. mix creole seasoning and italian seasoning with breadcrumbs,then add onion,bell pepper, and last mayonnaise.Then gently fold in crab meat being careful not to break up lumps of crab. meat.refrigerate I like to make my dressing the day before or the morning of my dinner,it gives the seasoning time to marry together.
3. LEMON,GARLIC,BUTTER SAUCE:
4. In small skillet, cook garlic in olive oil until tender (careful not to burn) add butter,creole seasoning,lemon juice and zest, simmer for 2 min.
5. Put fish in prepared pan, fill with 1 cup crab meat,then lay sides up over the crab meat. cover fish with sauce.
6. preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray large sheet pan with cooking spray. cook flounder for 30 min.(or until flakey) spoon sauce over fish ever 10 min.When done place each fish on plate and pour sauce from baking dish over fish and serve
7. If using filets, place one filet on baking pan cover with dressing, top with filet,spoon sauce over filets. cook as above.
8. TIPS: If you use canned crab be sure to drain off the water in can and rainse the crab at least 3 times to get rid of the can smell and taste.
9. In the dressing you can add small cooked shrimp or cooked crawfish tails, I love to change it around.
10. I like to serve mine with a greek salad and hard greek rolls,or a twice baked potato, tossed spinch salad, and garlic bread.
11. You can also make crab meat rolls,with thin filets, just place dressing on the filet and roll it up then bake with the sauce over it.