It’s No Fluke, This Is One Fine Flatfish

Fluke are a large toothy flounder that voraciously feed on a wide variety of fish and shellfish. These fish can weigh up to 20 lbs. though average market size is more like 1 to 3 lbs. This weekend’s fish are large. We call big fluke, like the one Paul Saginaw is holding back in ’79, “doormats”. Man that was a beauty! The flesh is firm, meaty and delicious. Since the fillets are meaty and large they are more versatile than the smaller flat fish. The smaller flounders fillets are better for quick cooking in the pan, whereas the larger fluke fillets can be treated like larger meatier fish such as cod or halibut. Pan searing, baking or roasting are great methods but you can’t beat it when we get fluke in sashimi grade and enjoy it with just soy sauce and wasabi.

Mike Monahan & Paul Saginaw – 1979

The Japanese call fluke “hirame” and it’s a favorite sushi fish over there. They call the long strips of fin meat, “engawa” and it’s nice to slice as sashimi or you might want to dust and fry it for a tasty edible garnish, yum!

Here’s a nice fluke picatta recipe that we really enjoy.