Stuffed Flounder with Frizzled Mint and Ginger

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Most fish prepared in India is stewed or cooked quickly in the tandoor, but this dish from the Taj Lake Palace is seared, making it decidedly more modern. A fragrant herb mix is stuffed into each fish fillet and blended into a yogurt cream sauce. Then the dish is finished elegantly with crisp frizzled mint leaves and strips of ginger.

Stuffed Flounder with Frizzled Mint and Ginger
Photo: © Kana Okada
Total Time:
50 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced

  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

  • 1/4 cup chopped mint, plus 24 mint leaves

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • Four 6- to 8-ounce flounder fillets

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 2 tablespoons plain whole-milk yogurt, drained

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for pan frying

  • One 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin strips

  • All-purpose flour, for dredging

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°. In a bowl, combine the garlic, serrano chile, cilantro and chopped mint. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cut a shallow 3-by-1 1/2-inch pocket in the wide side of each flounder fillet. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the herb mixture into each pocket.

  2. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the cream, yogurt and the remaining herb mixture and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

  3. In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the ginger in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat until browned and crisp, about 30 seconds. Tilt the skillet and transfer the ginger to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the mint leaves to the skillet and cook until crisp, about 10 seconds. Add the mint to the ginger.

  4. In the same skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil. Season the flounder with salt and pepper. Dredge 2 fillets in flour and shake off the excess. Fry the flounder over moderately high heat until golden brown, 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and repeat with the remaining flounder fillets. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to keep the fish warm.

  5. Reheat the herbed cream sauce and season with salt. Spoon the sauce onto plates and set the flounder fillets on top. Scatter the fried ginger and mint over the fish and serve right away.

Suggested Pairing

Generally speaking, lighter fish go best with lighter-bodied white wines, like Sauvignon Blanc, which is typically made without the enriching influence of oak barrels. South Africa has become a go-to source for great Sauvignon.

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