Baby Flounder & Mini Shrimp Recipe

Prepare seafood

Rinse baby flounder fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Pat shrimp dry and set both on a tray. Trim any ragged edges from flounder if needed.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, black pepper and smoked paprika. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the mixture for finishing squeeze over cooked fish.

Place flounder and shrimp in a single layer in a shallow dish or bowl. Pour remaining marinade over seafood, turning to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes (no more than 20 minutes) — flounder and shrimp are delicate and will begin to cure from the acid.

While seafood marinates, combine the flour, cornstarch and optional cornmeal in a wide shallow plate. Season lightly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. This will create a light, crisp coating for the flounder and shrimp.

Heat a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the oil shimmers and butter foams, it is ready.

Dredge and sear flounder

Working with one fillet at a time, shake off excess marinade and lightly dredge both sides in the flour mixture, tapping off excess. Place fillets in the hot pan skin-side (or presentation side) down, giving space — cook in two batches if necessary. Sear 2 to 3 minutes without moving until the exterior is golden and edges begin to crisp, then gently flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more until just cooked through (flounder is thin and cooks quickly). Transfer to a warm plate tented with foil.

Cook shrimp

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan and reduce heat to medium. Add shrimp (shake off excess marinade, do not overcoat with flour) and sauté 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Shrimp cook fast — remove as soon as they are opaque and slightly firm. Return shrimp to the plate with flounder.

Return seared flounder and shrimp to the pan for 20–30 seconds just to warm and glaze with any pan juices. Spoon the reserved 1 tablespoon marinade (or a squeeze of fresh lemon) over the fish. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Arrange flounder fillets and shrimp on a serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped chives or parsley. Serve immediately with two choice sides (suggested: steamed jasmine rice and garlic sautéed spinach) and a pot of free tea.

Leftovers: refrigerate cooled seafood in an airtight container up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a low oven (275°F / 135°C) for 8–10 minutes to avoid drying.