Cooking for Zo

Cost: 20 and over

Serves: 2-4

Prep Time: 30-35 min.

Cook Time: 40-45 min.

Difficulty: 2

Flounder is one item that I mess up all the time. I just never can seem to get the knack of cooking it. This meal actually started out as another idea but I messed it up so bad I had to figure out a way to save it. So after 30 minutes of debating it became this. Now that I think of it this is actually the second time I have messed up the same idea, Originally I wanted to make a fancy stuffed flounder for Zo when she came back from Vegas. I ruined it so bad we ended up tossing it out. We both agreed the stuffing was good but the flounder came out all mushy! This second time the flounder came out a little too dry. I decided to save it I would make us some sort of seafood sandwich. I knew it was saved when Zo bit in and said, "MM MM this is so good." It was not until after that first bite I told her I messed up my idea again. I still feel my original idea is a good one and eventually I will get it right. This sandwich really did take my taste buds back home. It tasted a lot like something I would get from a seafood market or fish shack on the Gulf Coast in the South.

2 Arrowtooth Flounder fillets

9 Vivanta vegetable crackers (crushed)

2 slices of smoked deli cut bacon (crisped and diced, save bacon grease)

1 green onion (chopped, 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup Imitation crab (diced)

2/3 cup shrimp (chopped, 3 large prawns or 6 medium shrimp)

1/3 cup Fontina cheese (grated)

1 just ripe Romano tomato (chopped)

3 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)

1/8 tsp essence

1/8 tsp tarragon

fresh crack pepper (to taste)
2 eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Fixings

Swiss slices

Creole mustard

8 sourdough bread slices or Po-boy rolls

2 tbsp avocado butter (topping sauce label)

Romaine Lettuce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl mix shrimp, crab, onions, Fontina, parsley and tomato. Pour mixture into an 8x8 buttered baking dish. Place a baking rack over 8x8 baking dish and lay flounder seam down on baking rack over baking dish. Sprinkle flounder with essence, tarragon and crack pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until flounder is white and flaky.

Remove everything from the oven and let cool until it can be handled (I pour everything into a glass bowl and sit it in the freezer for 5 minutes to cool it off quickly.) In a medium mixing bowl mix together seafood mixture, flounder, crackers and eggs until mixed well. Using your hands form 6-8 patties that are about 1/3-1/2 inch think.

In a small skillet combine bacon grease with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Once heated fry patties one or two at a time in oil for 3-4 minutes, flip and fry an additional 3-4 minutes or until crispy.

Serve on toasted sourdough with creole mustard, avocado butter Romaine lettuce and Swiss cheese. (Due to these patties breaking apart easy I found that using a Po-boy rolls works better.)