BigCityBoyfriend enjoys fishing – and by enjoy, I mean he has a bone-deep, overwhelming, all-consuming obsession with “ocean hunting”.  I’m not complaining.  Fishing gets him out of the house for days at a time, gives him time with the dudes on the open water and allows me to get all sorts of important things done (like lying on the beach, shopping or drinking wine with my girlfriends).  The best part of the whole arrangement is pounds upon pounds of the freshest fish you can imagine – tuna, swordfish, mahi mahi, striped bass and my personal favorite – fluke.   Eat up!  bigcitybelle

Shrimp Stuffed Fluke with Herb Sauce

6 medium flounder fillets (flounder works nicely too)

1 ½ lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 bag baby spinach

3 cloves  garlic, diced

1 pint fish stock

½ c. fat free half-and-half

½ c. dry white wine

2 tbsp. all purpose flour

1 c.  fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, finely chopped

note: save time and toss all the herbs in the food processor

Juice of ½ a lemon

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Old Bay Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400°

Sauté the garlic and spinach in olive oil over medium heat until the spinach has wilted and the garlic has softened.  Drain excess liquid and set aside.  Add 1 lb. shrimp to the food processor and chop until coarsely ground (about 4-5 pulses).  Combine the ground shrimp to the spinach mixture. 

Season both sides of each fluke fillet with salt, pepper and Old Bay.  Place about 2 tbsp. of the filling in the center of the fillet.  Fold the fillet over the filling, thick end first and place in a greased baking dish seam side down.  Bake for 15 minutes or until the fish is opaque and the shrimp has turned pink.

Add flour and 1 tbsp. flour to a saucepan.  Whisk over medium heat until the flour is slightly browned (about 1 minute).  Slowly add the fish stock and cook until slightly thickened, whisking often.  Add herbs, wine, half-and-half and lemon juice.  Season liberally with salt and pepper.   Add the remaining ½ lb. whole shrimp to the sauce and cook until pink (1-2 minutes). 

Remove stuffed fillets from the baking dish and place on a serving platter.  Cover the fillets with the herb sauce and whole shrimp.  Garnish with herbs and lemon slices.