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FlounderIntermediate
Stuffed Flounder with Crab Imperial — Florida Gulf Bottom Classic
Prep: 20 minCook: 18 minServes: 4
Flounder is the flat fish that every Florida bottom fisherman knows. The meat is ultra-thin, delicate, and sweet — and its mild flavor is the perfect canvas for a rich crab imperial stuffing. This is the kind of recipe you see on the menu at waterfront seafood shacks from Panacea to Destin. It looks fancy, but it’s surprisingly simple to pull off.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat flounder fillets dry and season lightly with salt and white pepper.
Make the stuffing: mix crab meat, mayo, egg yolk, Dijon, Worcestershire, Old Bay, panko, parsley, and chives. Fold gently to keep crab lumps intact.
Place half the flounder fillets on a buttered baking dish. Spoon crab stuffing evenly over each.
Top with the remaining fillets, sandwich-style. Brush tops with melted butter.
Bake 16-18 minutes until flounder is opaque and flakes easily, and stuffing is set and golden on top.
For extra color, broil 2 minutes at the end.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges, rice pilaf, or roasted asparagus.
Spoon any pan juices over the fish at the table.
Flounder fillets are thin and cook fast — don’t overbake or they dry out. If your fillets are very thin (under 1/4 inch), reduce cooking time to 12-14 minutes. Crab imperial stuffing works with any white fish, but flounder’s delicate texture is the classic pairing. You can prep the stuffing a day ahead. Leftovers reheat gently in a 300°F oven — not the microwave.
