Floundering no more

Flounder, a flat fish that can hide in the sand almost perfectly, has a delicate, white flesh and is stunningly delectable when cooked just right. But because it's flesh has such a subtle taste, it can use a little help. Many spices can overwhelm it, so that's why it's often stuffed with something good to add flavor. 

Crab is my favorite stuffing for flounder. This weekend, I used a half pound of shelled crab, mixed with an egg, 1 tablespoon of finely minced onion, 2 tablespoons minced red pepper, a half fresh jalapeño, minced, 2 slices of preserved lemon, minced, and freshly ground black pepper, to stuff a pound of flounder fillets. The taste was stupendous, and I even had enough crab left over to make two small crab cakes. I baked them at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. The only thing I would have done differently was add about 1/4 cup of bread crumbs to the mix; the egg leaked out a bit and puddled around the bottom as the dish cooked.