Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time: 15-30 minutes
(possibly more or less, depending upon how much fish you intend to fry)
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As I’ve mentioned before, seafood is my favorite, with crab legs coming in at number one. I also love a good fish fry! The secret to the pouring flavors is in the dry rub applied before the breading. This combination of southern and island (although I live on a peninsula) flavor melts perfectly in your mouth. With each bite, your tongue will be dancing.
Cornstarch is optional, but it makes your breading more crisped and golden. I add around one to two tablespoons of cornstarch to two to three cups of flour. Although I tend to stay away from flour breading with most dishes, there are just some meals that can’t use substitutes with. This is one of those meals. To help counter my carb intake, I skip out on overly starchy sides. I also skip the rice and pasta. This is one of the reasons I add nuts and seeds; it helps to bring more texture and flavor.
The vegetables for this stir-fry are all optional and interchangeable. I used what I had available. You can tell when I need to go grocery shopping. I’ll start adding unorthodox veggies to my stir-fry, such as cucumbers (which are actually fruit). I love my vegetables! I love having a bowl or plate full of color. You can feel the difference in your body and energy levels when you eat cleaner and use a healthy variety.
PRO TIP – You don’t actually need cooking oil for a stir-fry. Veggies contain their own water and oil. All you need to do is start out on a lower heat setting. Once some of the natural juices and oils from your veggies cooks out, turn up the heat and finish your stir-fry.
This recipe is also kid and gut friendly. What I mean by this is that even with all the seasoning and spice, it is not a spicy (the sting on your tongue kind) dish. As a gut sensitive person, I am pleased to announce that I have yet to suffer from heartburn or indigestion, and trust me, I suffer from it A LOT. As far as the kids go, if they like fish, they’ll most likely love it. My son calls it “the best dinner ever.”
If you end up with leftovers, I don’t recommend reheating the fish fillets in the microwave. The microwave will make these leftovers soggy. I like to reheat these in the oven, air fryer, or toaster oven. Your veggies should be fine to reheat in the microwave.
Before we get started, I have another PRO TIP. If you have a child or family member that is allergic to, or doesn’t like seafood, this entire process will work for chicken as well. The only thing you’ll need to adjust is your timing. Chicken is a denser meat that takes a bit longer to cook through.
Bee’s Florida Fried Flounder
Ingredients
- Skinless flounder filets
- Flour; 2-3 cups
- Corn starch; 1-2 TBSP
- One onion soup/dip packet (Lipton, Great Value, or ANY brand)
- 1 TBSP ground mustard
- 1 TBSP paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 TBSO chili powder
- 1 TBSP onion powder
- 1 TBSP garlic powder
- Parsley flakes to taste (optional)
- Kosher salt to taste (I use 1 and 1/4 tsp)
- Cooking oil of choice (olive, vegetable, avocado, etc.)
- Binder of choice (egg whites, whole eggs, mayo, applesauce, etc.)
Instructions
First, combine the ground mustard, paprika, black pepper, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and kosher salt in a small to medium bowl or cup.
Rub this seasoning mixture all over your flounder filets
I like to let it sit and absorb while I do the veggie stir-fry, but you don’t have to wait. You can start the next part of the process if you want to.
Be sure to save any leftover seasoning, as I’m sure there will be a little bit left (enough to add just the right amount of flavor to the breading, along with the onion soup packet).
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, parsley flakes, onion soup packet, and the leftover seasoning from your flounder rub. Blend everything together evenly. I use a fork to stir and fluff it.
Next, pour the cooking oil into a cast iron or stainless-steel skillet (about 1/4-1/2 in high) and bring burner up to medium or medium-high heat. Don’t let the oil burn; turn down the heat as needed.
Coat your seasoned flounder filets with your chosen binder (I used eggs), and coat again with your seasoned flour and cornstarch.
After you evenly coat each filet with your breading, place them into the oil and allow them to cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. If you are deep frying, keep submerged for 4-6 minutes.
That’s it; it’s that easy.
Almond Stir-Fry Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- Veggies of choice (I used the rest of what I had of my fresh veggies.)
- 3-4 TBSP roasted garlic and herb seasoning (regular garlic and herb works too)
- Olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
- OPTIONAL – flaxseeds
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
For the almonds, boil them for 1-5 minutes. This will soften the almonds.
Next, lightly coat a medium to large skillet with the olive oil.
Add all your fresh veggies and softened almonds.
Stir-fry for 6-8 minutes and add the flaxseeds, if you’re using flaxseeds.
Stir-fry for 10-15 minutes altogether (possibly 5 minutes longer if you used a lower heat or more dense veggies)
Remove from the heat, cover, and allow the veggies and almonds to steam, rest, and cool, in that order, for ten minutes.
That’s it; that’s all you need to do. Dinner is ready!
About this recipe
As far as the flounder goes, I was looking for a new way to season the flour breading. When I realized I still had an onion seasoning (onion soup/dip) packet that needed to be used soon, I thought, “why not?” To mine, and everyone who attended my fish fry party’s surprise, it was beyond delicious. The true stapple is the dry rub we applied before the breading though.
The idea to add more protein to my meal (flaxseed and almond) came from the fact that I simply don’t eat enough protein! I am such an herbivore. Although I am not vegan nor vegetarian, I am a sucker for vegan recipes. The problem is that I tend to choose veggies lower in protein. This is why I love adding the nuts and seeds. I also have a strong family history of diabetes. Being that my flounder is breaded, I skip out on any potato, pasta, or rice side. Adding nuts and seeds to my stir-fry helps make things more interesting by adding texture and flavor, as I’ve said before.
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