It’s $60/lb here in the Midwest around CIncinnati right now. Too rich for my blood.
Maybe not for Christmas - that was always oyster stuffing in the goose or turkey. But my grandmother’s crab imperial stuffed flounder was to die for. I use her recipe still today(a handed-down facsimile really). I can see if invasive crabs become popular and multiply to the point of interfering with the native species it would be a major disaster. Having grown up on Chesapeake Bay and now living on Galveston Bay, I don’t think I would want to live anywhere that I couldn’t catch blue crabs.
Feral hogs are pushing out native javelinas/collared peccaries. And the ham off a wild boar/feral hog is not much like the ham you get at your local Kroger.
My sister’s husband’s family used to own a restaurant in Florida, and their crab stuffed flounder was my favorite thing on the menu. Share your recipe, pretty please?
We trap green crabs and use them for fishing bait in the northeast. I can’t imagine that they’d ever be eradicated. Turn over any rock around any jetty and you’ll find green crabs. Plus, a giant green crab isn’t as big as the smallest legal blue crab. Who wants to pick 30 crabs for a meal? Maybe you could make soup.
Agreed on the cold versus warm water lobsters in that the spineys I’ve had (Florida Keys) were not nearly as good as Maine lobster cooked at the dock or nearby pound. No even close.
Sorry it took so long, but I always make it using the tried and true memory-and-eyeball method. The written recipe turned up inside a little-used cookbook. Turns out I needn’t have bothered – there are no quantities, just my grandmother’s list of ingredients. But I did get to see her beautiful Palmer Method handwriting again. The recipe below is my own estimation of the amounts I use. It is basically a slightly wetter version of a crabcake recipe. My Grandmother always literally stuffed a whole flounder, while I make stuffing(dressing?) topped fillets. Filleting is much easier and less messy than scaling and gutting a fish. If you want to stuff a whole flounder use smaller amounts of liquids and less mayo, and the browning part is moot.
Mix together 1 egg, 4+ Tbsp Mayo, 1+ tsp Worcestershire sauce, a healthy splash(less than a tsp.?) of hot sauce(I use sriracha, and my grandmother just used Gulden’s spicy brown mustard), ½ tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp of dried herbs(I’m fond of tarragon, but thyme, oregano, marjoram, etc. are fine, and my grandmother used a handful of fresh chopped parsley), 2 or 3 sliced/chopped green onions, and 1-2 tsp Old Bay(I sometimes substitute a little cayenne with a sprinkle of salt). I sometimes add in a small chopped poblano or a couple of jalapenos. Mix all this thoroughly, as you don’t want to do too much mixing after this.
Use a fork to make soft breadcrumbs from two slices of cheap white bread(I mostly use 3-4 small slices of French or Italian style bread). Keep them loose – you don’t want them smashed. Add the breadcrumbs and 1lb of crab meat to the egg mixture, and fold or gently mix it all together.
Place your flounder fillets on a greased baking sheet or shallow pan with no space between them - crowding is good. I’m guessing it’s about one and a half pounds. I usually use an oval 8x11 baking dish and two fillets from the top side of a small to medium flounder(15-18 inches) make a crowded fit. Lightly salt and pepper the fish and sprinkle with lemon juice(probably half of a fresh lemon).
Mound the stuffing on the flounder, covering it to the edges. Lightly cover the top of the stuffing with dry bread crumbs(panko works well if you have it). I frequently also add grated Parmesan.
The baking part is a bit tricky to describe, but easy to eyeball and adjust. Mostly I put the pan on the top rack of a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes and then finish browning it under the broiler for less than one minute. Thicker fillet/stuffing combo is better at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and thinner is better at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. You want it browned but not dried-out.
That looks like a lot of recipe, but it is much easier to make than to describe. I hope it works!
Thanks, sounds delicious!
Looks tasty.