Flounder Milanese

During the quarantine, one of the habits my son and I have gotten into has been watching cooking programs together. So during a Barefoot Contessa when she was rocking out a Flounder Milanese, he declared, "Mommy, you have to make that for us." 

I was like, for reals? And he said, "Yes that looks yummy. I want that."

Now I prepared to be punked - you know how children do with food. They love something. You make it again. They are on a hunger strike.

But I gotta say, my kiddo ate his whole plate of this - from the arugula, to the flounder to the frizzled capers to the parmigiano shavings. The kid did me proud.

He was excited that I was blogging about this dish.

This is definitely a nice one to make on summer nights when you don't want a heavy din. Something about the heat makes me not want to eat a lot. I also feel that way due to anxiety, which I've experienced in boatloads these past three months.

I do recommend you heat the fish in the oven while cooking your remaining rounds of flounder. It keeps it nice and hot and crunchy. The greens, the fish, the lemon, the cheese: It's a power combo. 

This recipe is really nice. I hope you get to make it soon!

Flounder Milanese

Serves 6

From "Cook Like a Pro"

By Ina Garten

6 flounder or sole fillets (1 3/4 lbs. total)

1 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 extra large eggs

1 1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs, such as Progresso

Unsalted butter

Good olive oil

6 ounces arugula or mixed salad greens for six

Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

2 Tbsp. drained capers

Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and fleur de sel for serving

Lemon Viniagrette

Makes 3/4 cup

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.

Dry the fish on both sides with paper towels. Combine the flour, 2 tsp. salt, and 2 tsp. pepper on a dinner plate. In a low shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with 1 Tbsp. water. Put the bread crumbs on another plate. Dredge the fish on both sides in the seasoned flour and dust off the excess. Dip both sides into the egg mixture, and finally, dredge both sides in the bread crumbs. 

Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large (12-inch) saute pan and cook 2 fillets at a time over medium to medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Transfer the fish in one layer to the sheet pan in the oven. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the fillets, transferring them to the sheet pan as they're done. Toss the arugula with enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place one fillet on each plate and pile the arugula salad on top. Heat the capers in the saute pan for 30 seconds and sprinkle over the fish and salad. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon juice and the fleur de sel. Serve hot.