(Greenaway) Flounders belong to the order Pleuronectiformes. The scientific name of the yellowtail flounder is Pieuronectes ferrugineus; of the starry flounder, P. stellatus; of the winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus; of the summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus. The market name is flounder or sole. There are many common names associated with the flounder: yellowtail flounder, yellowfin sole, summer flounder, starry flounder, winter flounder, California sole, and Dover sole to name a few. (The Editors of The Encyclopædia Britannica), (The Editors of Seafood Business) When it first hatches from its egg, the free-swimming flounder has an eye on either side of its head, like most other fishes. After a few days, however, the flounder begins to lean to one side and the eye on that side begins to migrate to the side with the other eye; the side with both eyes eventually becomes the top of the fish. After this transformation, this flatfish becomes a bottom-dwelling fish, with the blind side losing its coloration and becoming the bottom of the fish. With this development, a number of other complex changes in the bones, nerves, muscles, and digestive tract occur. The pattern of the migration of the eye is genetically determined. Some flounders have the eyes and coloration on their former right side (family Pleuronectidae); other flounders have the eyes and coloration on their former left side (family Bothidae). [ (Peterson) ] Included among the approximately 100 species of right-eyed flounders are the European flounder, a marine and freshwater food and sport fish of Europe that grows to a length of about 1.5 feet (0.5 meter) and a weight of about 6 pounds (3 kilograms). Other popular food fish of this family are the starry flounder, a North Pacific species that averages about 20 pounds (9 kilograms) in weight, and the winter flounder, an American Atlantic fish that grows to about 2 feet (0.6 meter) in length. [ (The Editors of The Encyclopædia Britannica) ] Among the left-eyed flounder family, containing more than 200 species, the better-known species include the summer flounder, an American Atlantic food fish that grows to about 3 feet (0.9 meter) in length, and the peacock flounder, a tropical American Atlantic food fish attractively marked with many pale-blue spots and rings. A relatively large and commercially important European species in this family is the brill, which inhabits shallow water from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea. [ (The Editors of The World Book Encyclopedia) ] Most adult flounders feed on various smaller fish that they find on the ocean bottom. They supplement this diet with shrimp and other crustaceans, squids, mollusks, urchins, and marine worms. By keeping their mouths free of water, flounders can create a suction with which they pull prey into their mouths. As a protective measure, some flounders, such as the summer flounder, can change their normally gray-brown skin color into various hues of pink, orange, green, blue, and dark brown to match the changing ocean bottom. The spawning season occurs variably from January to March, depending on the species. Females have been known to release as many as 500,000 eggs in a single spawning period. (The Editors of The World Book Encyclopedia) Larval and juvenile summer flounder are preyed upon until they grow large enough to fend for themselves; predators include spiny dogfish, goosefish (monkfish), cod, silver hake, red hake, spotted hake, sea raven, longhorn sculpin, and fourspot flounder. Predators for adults include large sharks, rays, and goosefish (monkfish). Yellowtail flounder are preyed on by spiny dogfish, winter skate, Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, fourspot flounder, monkfish, little skate, smooth skate, silver hake, bluefish, and sea raven. Fish, such as striped bass, bluefish, toadfish, and summer flounder, birds, invertebrates, winter skate, and marine mammals prey on larvae and juveniles of the winter flounder. Atlantic cod, spiny dogfish, and monkfish prey on adults of winter flounder. [ (National Marine Fisheries Service) ] The supply of the flounder can be found all over our globe. It is heavily fished on both coasts of Canadian and American waters. Other areas of fishing are Iceland, Norway, Russia, and The United Kingdom. [ (The Editors of Seafood Business) ]. To say seafood is sustainable is to say the population of that species of fish is managed in a way that provides for today’s needs without damaging the ability of the species to reproduce and be available for future generations. The majority of fish and shellfish caught in federal waters of the U.S. are harvested under fishery management plans (FMPs) that must meet 10 National Standards to ensure fish stocks are maintained, overfishing is eliminated, and the long-term socioeconomic benefits to the nation are achieved. In the United States, fisheries managers are required to set harvest levels based on scientific recommendations to sustain healthy populations of fish and shellfish. [ (National Marine Fisheries Service) ] The taste and texture of flounder depends heavily on the species. The taste can range from bland to sweet and the texture from delicate to medium. The yellowtail flounder is looked upon as the standard to which all other species are compared. This is due to its sweet taste and firm texture. Regardless of the species, when purchasing flounder, the decision should be based on freshness. Fillets should glisten and smell of seawater. Whole fish should look firm and unbruised, with red gills and no off odors. [ (Bittman) ]. Due to the delicate taste of flounder, sauces and herbs that may overpower this fish should be avoided. However, use wine, sauce and other liquids that are mild to avoid over drying the thin flatfish fillets. Any thin whitefish fillet may be substituted for a flatfish fillet. The best cooking methods for flatfish are baking, broiling, frying, or sautéing. [ (Peterson) ]
Pan-Fried Flounder with Potatoes in Parsley [ (Hahnemann) ]
photo by: Lars Renek [ 1 ]
Ingredients
1 3/4 pounds fingerling potatoes
Salt and pepper
4 whole flounder
1 cup all-purpose or rye flour
9 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
For Serving
1 lemon, sliced
Dill sprigs
Preparation
Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender, then drain. Once they are cool enough to handle, peel them.
Rinse the fish in cold water, then coat each one in the flour, patting off the excess. Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet and pan-fry the fish for 5 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden. Keep the cooked fish warm while you cook the remainder.
Melt the remaining butter in a casserole. Add the peeled potatoes and let them sauté a little before adding the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with the potatoes, sliced lemon, and dill sprigs.
Works Cited
Bittman, Mark. FISH: The Complete Guide to Buying and Cooking. Hoboken: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 1994.
Greenaway, F. Flounder (Platichthys). Natural History Photographic Agency/EB Inc.
Hahnemann, Trina. The Scandinavian Cookbook. Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009.
National Marine Fisheries Service. 2010. 8 April 2010 <http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/>.
Peterson, James. Fish & Shellfish. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1996.
Renek, Lars Photo. Pan-Fried Flounder with Potatoes in Parsley.
The Editors of Seafood Business. Seafood Handbook: The Comprehensive Guide to Sourcing, Buying and Preparation. Wiley; 2 edition, 2009.
The Editors of The Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica. 8 April 2010. 8 April 2010 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/210970/flounder>.
The Editors of The World Book Encyclopedia. Word Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, Inc., 2006.
