Stuffing for Flounder

This flounder stuffing is built around two flavors that belong together: sauteed mushrooms and flaked crabmeat. Scallions, bread crumbs, and butter round it out, with lemon juice cutting through the richness.

The mushrooms and scallions get a five-minute saute in butter first, which concentrates their flavor and drives off excess moisture. Wet stuffing makes for soggy fish, so this step matters. The crabmeat folds in with the bread crumbs for just two minutes more on the stove, long enough to warm through without toughening.

A tablespoon of ketchup might raise an eyebrow, but it adds a touch of sweetness and tomato depth that brings the whole filling together. Packed into the flounder and baked at high heat, the stuffing stays moist inside while the fish cooks quickly around it. A pat of butter on top and a drizzle of Mornay sauce finish it off.

Pro Tips

• Use soft, fresh bread crumbs, not dry packaged ones. They absorb the butter and mushroom juices without turning gritty.
• Don’t overstuff the flounder. A thin, even layer cooks more evenly and lets the fish cook through without overcooking the stuffing.
• Pick through the crabmeat for shell fragments before folding it in. Even “picked” crab often has small bits hiding.
• The high oven temperature means fast cooking. Start checking at 10 minutes to avoid drying out the delicate flounder.

Variations

• Shrimp stuffing: Replace the crabmeat with chopped cooked shrimp for a different shellfish take.
• Herb-forward: Add fresh parsley and a pinch of Old Bay seasoning to the bread crumb mixture for a more coastal flavor.