Serves: 4
Ingredients
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1 tbsp (15 ml) coconut oil, divided
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3 scallions (white parts chopped fine, green parts sliced thin on bias)
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1 celery rib, minced
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0.5 red bell pepper, chopped fine
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1 garlic clove, minced
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0.75 tsp (3.8 ml) Cajun seasoning
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3 oz (approx 85g) Coconut Milk Cheddar Cheese, cut into small pieces
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12 oz (approx 340g) lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
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2 cups (480 ml) fresh spinach, stemmed
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Sea salt and pepper to taste
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8 skinless flounder fillets (3 oz / 85g each), 0.25- to 0.5-inch thick
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0.25 cup (60 ml) White Sandwich Breadcrumbs, toasted
Preparation
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Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).
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Heat 2 tsp (10 ml) of the coconut oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the scallion whites, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the garlic and 0.75 tsp (3.8 ml) Cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 3 oz (85g) cheese until it is melted. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl.
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Gently stir the 12 oz (340g) crabmeat and 2 cups (480 ml) spinach into the bowl, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
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Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with coconut oil.
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Pat the flounder fillets dry with paper towels and season them with sea salt and pepper. Place the fillets, smooth side down, on a cutting board.
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Mound the filling in the center of each fillet. Fold the tail end over the filling, and then fold the thicker end over that.
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Lay the flounder seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
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Toss the 0.25 cup (60 ml) breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tsp (5 ml) of coconut oil, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the flounder.
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Bake until the filling is hot and the flounder flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife, about 20 minutes.
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Sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens and serve immediately.
More Recipes You'll Love
Crab-stuffed flounder is weeknight luxury at its best: sweet lump crab folded into a creamy, Cajun-spiced filling and wrapped in delicate white fish. The rolls bake in twenty minutes under a crisp, oil-toasted crumb lid. It looks like restaurant food and eats like a hug.
Pro Tips
- Pick over the crabmeat for shell, then fold it in at the very end rather than stirring - lump crab breaks up easily, and you want those sweet, pearl-sized lumps to survive.
- Fillets fold cleanly only when they are 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. If yours are thicker, butterfly them open first, otherwise the roll cracks at the seam.
- Tossing the breadcrumbs with the remaining coconut oil before sprinkling is what keeps the lid crunchy instead of soggy under the oven's 475°F heat.
- Lay the rolls seam-side down in the dish - that single habit stops them from unfurling as the fish contracts in the oven.
- Leftovers reheat gently at 325°F, covered with foil; crab turns rubbery if you blast it hot and fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I assemble crab-stuffed flounder ahead of time?
Yes. Roll and fill the fillets up to a day ahead, keep them covered in the fridge, and add the buttered crumb topping just before baking. Give cold rolls an extra five minutes in the oven.
What fish can I stand in for flounder?
Any thin, mild white fillet works - sole, plaice, or thin-cut cod. Stay in that 1/4- to 1/2-inch range so the fold still holds.
Can I use canned crabmeat in the filling?
Well-drained canned lump crab is a fine substitute. Press out the excess moisture first, or the filling turns watery inside the roll.
How do I store leftover crab-stuffed flounder?
Cool the baked rolls completely and refrigerate them in a sealed container for up to two days. Rewarm at 325°F only until heated through.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C).
- Heat 2 tsp of the coconut oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Add the scallion whites, celery, and bell pepper.
- Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and 0.75 tsp Cajun seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the 3 oz (85g) cheese until it is melted.
- Transfer this mixture to a large bowl.
- Gently stir the 12 oz (340g) crabmeat and 2 cups spinach into the bowl, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab.
- Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with coconut oil.
- Pat the flounder fillets dry with paper towels and season them with sea salt and pepper.
- Place the fillets, smooth side down, on a cutting board.
- Mound the filling in the center of each fillet.
- Fold the tail end over the filling, and then fold the thicker end over that.
- Lay the flounder seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Toss the 0.25 cup breadcrumbs with the remaining 1 tsp of coconut oil, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the flounder.
- Bake until the filling is hot and the flounder flakes apart when gently prodded with a paring knife, about 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the reserved scallion greens and serve immediately.
