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North Carolina · Flounder

Outer Banks Crab-Stuffed Flounder

Stuffed Flounder

On the Outer Banks, flounder gigged in the sounds at night shows up the next day at supper, rolled around a buttery crab stuffing and baked until golden. It is the house special at fish camps from Manteo to Hatteras.

  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 25 min
  • Serves 4
  • Level Medium
Photo: Mavi Yıldız Restoran · Pexels
Served with: Southern-Style Green Beans ↓En Español

Ingredients

Tap each item as you gather it.

For the crab stuffing

For the fish

Method

Step by step, start to finish.

  1. Cook the vegetables. Heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Melt the 3 tbsp butter in a small pan and cook the onion and celery 4 minutes until soft. Let cool.
  2. Make the stuffing. In a bowl mix the cooled vegetables, crackers, mayonnaise, egg, Old Bay, lemon juice and parsley. Fold in the crab gently.
  3. Fill the fillets. Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Put a mound of stuffing on the wide end of each and roll up. Set seam-side down in a buttered baking dish.
  4. Bake. Brush with melted butter and dust with paprika. Bake 20–25 minutes until the fish flakes and the stuffing is hot (165 °F / 74 °C).
  5. Serve. Spoon the pan butter over the top and serve with lemon and green beans.

On the side

The side dish that belongs with it, full recipe included.

North Carolina

Southern-Style Green Beans

Southern Green Beans

Fresh green beans simmered slow with bacon and onion until tender and full of flavor. Carolina grandmothers cook them a long time, and they are right.

  • Prep 10 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Serves 6
  • Level Easy

You need

  • 2 lb (900 g) fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1½ cups chicken stock
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • Salt

How to make it

  1. Crisp the bacon. Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp.
  2. Add the onion. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes, then the garlic for 1 minute.
  3. Simmer. Add the green beans, stock and pepper. Cover and simmer 20–25 minutes until tender.
  4. Finish. Uncover and cook 5 minutes more to reduce the liquid. Taste for salt.

Photo: Cats Coming · Pexels

More ways to cook Flounder

Same fish, a different corner of the sea.

Lisbon, PortugalFlounder Belle Meunière
Lima, PeruClassic Peruvian Flounder Ceviche
Cádiz, SpainFlounder with Garlic and Chili Oil
Peniche, PortugalPortuguese Grilled Whole Flounder