Shrimp-Stuffed Flounder

Stuffed fish sounds like a complex entree that’d be best to leave to the pros and enjoy only in a restaurant. However, the secret the chefs don’t tell you is that stuffed fish looks elegant but often takes little effort. With a few pointers, this shrimp-stuffed flounder recipe can be on the table in under an hour.

The shape of the fish you stuff makes a big difference. Long, evenly thin fillets of flatfish like flounder need no extra prep. To “stuff” them, simply lay out the fish, scoop the filling on top and roll up the fillets. If you can roll a burrito, you can stuff this fish.

For the shrimp stuffing for flounder, bits of chopped shrimp mix with aromatic vegetables like celery and onion, seasonings and bread crumbs. The stuffing flavors infuse the mild white fish as it cooks in a buttery lemon sauce. Serve shrimp-stuffed flounder with roasted potatoes and a green salad as a sophisticated dinner for guests or for just a simple weeknight meal.

Ingredients for Shrimp-Stuffed Flounder

• Butter: Butter adds richness to this dish and gives it a creaminess you won’t get from oil. This recipe uses butter in two places: to soften the vegetables in the shrimp stuffing for flounder and to drizzle over the rolled-up fish.
• Onion, celery and bell peppers: This trio of vegetables is known as the Cajun holy trinity because it’s so popular in the culture’s cuisine. But the combination appears in savory recipes from around the world. Here, it creates an aromatic base for the shrimp stuffing.
• Uncooked shrimp: Any size of shrimp works for this stuffing because you chop it into equally sized pieces. Be sure to start with raw shrimp. Precooked shrimp won’t absorb the stuffing flavors and liquid, leaving the mixture soggy even as the shellfish turns chewy.
• Beef broth: Flavor is the entire reason this recipe specifies beef broth. Commercial beef stock is mostly additives, so make your own beef stock—or, even better, homemade bone broth—for the richest flavor. Chicken stock or broth will work in a pinch.
• Pimientos: Known mostly for being stuffed inside green olives or flavoring pimiento cheese, you can find these mild, sweet peppers in jars.
• Seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, dill weed, minced chives, salt and spicy cayenne pepper season the stuffing without masking the shrimp flavor.
• Soft bread crumbs: Untoasted bread crumbs soak up the cooking liquid and practically dissolve into the stuffing. To make enough soft bread crumbs for this recipe, tear two or three slices of bread into pieces and pulse them in a food processor or blender just until they form small crumbs.
• Flounder: This flatfish usually has large, thin fillets that easily roll around shrimp stuffing. U.S. and Canadian Pacific flounder are some of the best sustainable options.
• Sauce: Round out this dish with a buttery sauce made with lemon juice, fresh parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. You don’t need to mix the sauce separately; just drizzle or sprinkle each ingredient over the stuffed flounder with shrimp and let it bake.

Directions

Step 1: Make the stuffing

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and green pepper, and saute until tender. Add the raw chopped shrimp, and cook and stir until the shrimp pieces turn pink. Stir in the broth, pimientos, Worcestershire sauce, dill, chives, salt and cayenne, and heat through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bread crumbs.

Editor’s Tip: For the most flavor, cook the aromatic vegetables over low heat until the onions become transparent and fragrant, at least 10 minutes. If the heat is too high, the vegetables could become bitter, instead of sweet, and perhaps burnt.

Step 2: Roll up the fish fillets

Spoon about 1/2 cup shrimp stuffing onto each flounder fillet and roll it up. Place the rolled fillet seam side down in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.

Editor’s Tip: Spoon the shrimp stuffing between the widest part of the fillet and the narrowest tip. Fold that tip over the stuffing, compress the filling against the fish and tuck in any stuffing that falls out of the ends as you continue to roll up the fillet. When you reach the other tip, lift the stuffed fish and gently set it in the pan with that outside tip on the bottom. If the raw fish won’t stay rolled up, secure the fillets with toothpicks before lifting them, and remove the toothpicks before serving.

Step 3: Bake the stuffed fish

Drizzle the fish and shrimp roll-ups with butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle each fillet with paprika and fresh parsley, plus salt and pepper if desired. Bake the fish, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Editor’s Tip: Bake stuffed flounder with shrimp to a higher internal temperature than you would cook just the fillets. The fish pressed directly against the breaded stuffing might cook more slowly than the outer surface. When the shrimp stuffing reaches an internal temperature of 165°, the flounder fillets will be safe to eat.

Taste of Home

Shrimp-Stuffed Flounder Variations

• Replace the beef broth: The beef broth is the only ingredient in this seafood recipe that won’t suit pescatarians, but there are plenty of replacement options. Increase the shellfish taste with shrimp stock, easily made from the shells of the shrimp you peeled, or clam juice, the broth left after steaming clams in salted water. The tannins in dry red wine add deep flavor, whereas white wine imparts a lighter one.
• Swap the peppers: Dice pimento-stuffed Manzanilla olives to give the stuffing a briny taste. For smoky notes, roast peppers and dice them yourself; choose red bell peppers for a similar sweetness or poblanos for a hint of heat. Add or substitute diced jalapenos or other hot chiles to taste for a spicy stuffing.
• Experiment with the filling: Instead of the Cajun holy trinity, use equal parts onion, grated carrots and chopped mushrooms. Replace some of the shrimp with lump crabmeat or lobster. For a creamier filling, stir in a couple small cubes of cream cheese.
• Layer the fish and stuffing: Substitute short fillets of a different fish, such as sole, haddock, Pacific cod or tilapia. Drizzle some of the butter and lemon juice on the bottom of the baking dish and arrange half the fillets on it. Spread the filling evenly across the fillets and then layer the remaining fish over it. With smaller fillets, you may be able to fit the layers in an 8×8-inch pan.

How to Store Shrimp-Stuffed Flounder

Pack shrimp-stuffed flounder in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Set the pieces side by side in a shallow container, or store them as individual servings. The lemon-butter sauce will solidify in the fridge but become fluid again when reheated.

How long does shrimp-stuffed flounder last?

Cooked fish lasts up to four days in the fridge, but the structure of shrimp-stuffed flounder deteriorates rapidly, so these leftovers are best eaten within two days. If you can’t fit all the stuffing in the fish, store the extra in a separate airtight container and use it within two days for the best texture.

How do you reheat shrimp-stuffed flounder?

To reheat shrimp-stuffed flounder, set the leftovers in an oven-safe baking dish, cover it with a lid or aluminum foil, and bake in a 350° oven until the stuffing’s internal temperature reads 165°, 20 to 30 minutes. If the fish appears to be drying out, add a splash of white wine or shrimp stock to keep it moist.

Shrimp-Stuffed Flounder Tips

Taste of Home

What’s the best way to clean and devein shrimp?

The larger the shrimp, the easier they are to clean. Still-frozen shrimp are fresher than thawed ones found in a grocery store display case. Thaw them at home overnight in the refrigerator. Then, to clean shrimp, pull back the shell of head-off shrimp until you can grip the flesh and wiggle it free from top to tail. If the head is still attached, twist it off before you peel away the body shell. You don’t have to devein shrimp, but if you want to, tease out the dark vein down the back ridge with a paring knife before you chop the flesh.

What else can you do with shrimp stuffing?

Use the shrimp stuffing in this recipe to fill everything from appetizers to entrees. For a party tray, pack it into mushrooms and bake until the mushrooms are tender. Fill cooked jumbo pasta shells and bake with a basic white sauce enhanced with cheese for dinner. Use it to stuff other long, thin whitefish. To grill the fish instead of baking, wrap each rolled-up fillet in foil and set it in a covered medium-hot grill until the stuffing’s internal temperature reaches 165°, about 15 minutes.

What can you serve with shrimp-stuffed flounder?

With all the protein in stuffed flounder with shrimp, round out the meal with vegetable sides, like roasted asparagus or roasted garlic green beans with cashews. Continue the stuffed trend with wild rice stuffed squash, heating the prebaked and filled squash halves for about 20 minutes at the baking temperature for shrimp-stuffed flounder. Add seasoned red potatoes to the oven for a starchy side, or mix up cran-orange couscous salad for a greens and grains combo.