Flounder is a mild, delicate fish and a perfect candidate for this crunchy, buttery crust of chopped cashews, parsley and chives. A quick, light remoulade flavored with lemon and more fresh chives finishes the dish perfectly. Try serving with buttered sugar-snap peas and Potato Salad with Thyme-Roasted Shallots.
Cashew-Crusted Flounder with Chive Remoulade
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs fresh flounder fillets
- 1 cup unsalted cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped, divided
- Juice of 1 lemon, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a shallow baking pan with parchment. Cut the fish fillets into 4 pieces and arrange in a single layer on the parchment-lined pan. Drizzle with lemon juice, reserving 1-1/2 tablespoons for the remoulade, and season with salt and pepper.
- Chop the cashews coarsely in a food processor or blender and transfer to a small bowl. Add the melted butter, parsley and 2 tablespoons of the chives. Combine well and place a portion on top of each piece of fish. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, spread the nut mixture over the fish and pat down gently.
- In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, reserved lemon juice, Dijon-style mustard and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chives. Transfer to a serving dish.
- Bake the fish just until it turns opaque throughout, 7 to 10 minutes. Time will depend on the thickness of your fillets (see recipe notes). Serve immediately, passing the remoulade at the table.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Went to the store to get grouper and macadamia nuts. They were out of both – so bought tilapia and cashews, then came home and hoped I could find a recipe. Found this one and used it even though it was for flounder. This was surprisingly easy – I used fresh herbs from my garden. Two suggestions – when the fish was just about done, the topping was still kind of mushy. So I put the tray under the broil for 2 minutes – PERFECT – added a bit of crispiness to the fish. And…I warmed up the remoulade in the microwave for a few seconds. I prefer a warm sauce. (Side note: the remoulade by itself tasted a bit tart/sour and I was worried about it on the fish. But wow – it was a perfect match. Finally for those out of supplies, I used lime juice instead of lemon – still delicious!!