Pancetta Stuffed Flounder with Boiled New Potatoes & Hollandaise
Submitted by poohart 2
Pancetta stuffed flounder baked with a crispy pancetta and bread stuffing, served over buttered new potatoes with hollandaise. An elegant dinner party fish dish ready in about an hour.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsWhole flounder gets the full restaurant treatment here: filled with a savory stuffing built on crisped pancetta, day-old bread soaked in milk, onion, shallot, garlic, and parsley, then brushed with butter and baked until just done.
Rendering the pancetta until properly crispy is where the stuffing gets its backbone. The fat it releases goes into sauteing the onions and garlic, and the bread absorbs all of that flavor when the warm milk is stirred in. Flour binds it just enough to stuff and hold.
The finished flounder rests over buttered new potatoes and gets a generous pour of hollandaise, with fried parsley and finely diced bell peppers to finish. It’s a composed plated dish that earns its occasion.
Chef Tips
- Day-old bread matters here. Fresh bread turns paste-like when it absorbs the milk; stale bread maintains some texture in the stuffing.
- Adjust the flour carefully. The stuffing should hold together when pressed but not feel dense or heavy.
- The hollandaise can be made while the fish bakes. Time it to finish right as the fish comes out of the oven.
Ingredients
whole, split down the center, backs removed, both sides of the fillet trimmed *
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃).
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil.
When the oil is hot, render the pancetta until crispy, about 10 minutes.
Remove the crispy bacon and set aside.
Add the onions and sauté until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the bread and cook until the bread is crisp.
Remove from the heat and turn the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Bring the milk up to a boil.
Stir ⅔ of the milk in the bread mixture.
Stir in the beaten eggs and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Mix in enough flour to bind the stuffing.
If the stuffing becomes to dry, add a little more milk.
Stuff each flounder with ¼ of the stuffing.
Place the fish on a baking sheet.
Brush each fish with the melted butter and season with Essence.
Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve the potatoes on the bottom of the platter.
Lay the fish directly on top of the potatoes.
Spoon the Hollandaise over the fish and around the rim.
Garnish with the fried parsley and brunoise peppers.
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