Recipe: Flounder Stuffed With Crabmeat (with grilling option)

FLOUNDER STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT

6 pan-dressed flounder (3/4 pound each)
1 pound crabmeat, fresh or frozen or 2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans crabmeat
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup salad oil
2 cups soft bread crumbs
3 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt, divided use
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup salad oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Paprika

Thaw fish if frozen. Clean, wash and dry fish. To make a pocket for the stuffing, lay the fish flat on a cutting board light side down. With a sharp knife cut down the center of the fish to the backbone from the tail to about one inch from the other end. Turn the knife flat and cut the fish along both sides of the backbone to the tail, allowing the knife to run over the rib bones. (Or buy the fish already prepared to stuff.)

Thaw frozen crabmeat or drain canned. Remove any shell or cartilage. Cook onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in 1/3 cup oil until tender.

Combine bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, salt to your preference, pepper, cooked vegetables and crabmeat; mix well. Stuff each fish loosely with approximately 2/3 cup stuffing.

For a sauce, combine 3/4 cup oil, lemon juice and salt to taste. Place fish in a baking dish with the sauce, with more sauce on top.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 5 minutes.

OR TO GRILL:
Cut six 18-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Grease lightly. Place 2 tablespoons lemon sauce on one-half of each square of foil. Place fish in sauce and top with 1 tablespoon lemon sauce. Sprinkle with paprika. Fold other half of foil over fish and seal edges by making double folds in the foil. Place packages of fish on a barbecue grill about 6 inches from moderately hot coals. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork. To serve, cut a big crisscross in the top of each package and fold the foil
back.

Makes 6 servings
Source: Southern Living Fish and Shellfish