Flounder With Herb Blossom Butter

By David Tanis

Published May 30, 2017

  • Danny Ghitis for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(92)
Comments
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Herb blossom butter sounds fancy, but it’s really just a prettier, more floral, summery version of herb butter, perfect with any white-fleshed fish, salmon or trout. If you have no access to flowering herbs, simply use chives, thyme and dill instead to make a plain herb butter. Look for herb blossoms at farmers markets or buy a couple of blooming potted herb plants, or ask a friend with a vegetable garden. Edible flowers and all sorts of herb blossoms are also available online.

Featured in: Edible Blossoms to Brighten Your Plate

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

FOR THE HERB BLOSSOM BUTTER

  • ¼ pound unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 teaspoons thinly sliced chives

  • 1 chive blossom, pulled apart into tiny florets (or use an additional teaspoon thinly sliced chives)

  • 2 teaspoons chopped dill

  • 1 teaspoon thyme blossoms, roughly chopped or crumbled (or use chopped thyme leaves)

  • 1 tablespoon mustard blossoms, snipped from flowering mustard greens (optional)

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon whole-grain French mustard

  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

  • Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE FISH

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Pinch cayenne

  • 4 flounder fillets, about 1 ½ pounds total

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

  • Extra herb blossoms, for garnish (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

27 grams carbs; 137 milligrams cholesterol; 509 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 34 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 573 milligrams sodium; 25 grams protein

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the herb blossom butter: Put butter in a bowl. Add chives, chive blossoms, dill, thyme blossoms, mustard blossoms if using, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add a big pinch of salt and black pepper. Mix well with a fork until well combined. With wet hands, form butter into a log shape, then wrap and chill. Bring to cool room temperature to serve.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the fish: Put flour in a low bowl or pie plate and season with salt, pepper and cayenne.

  3. Step 3

    Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip each fillet in seasoned flour on both sides, shaking off excess, and transfer to a large plate.

  4. Step 4

    Put 2 large skillets over medium-high heat and film bottoms with oil. When oil is hot, carefully place 2 fillets in each pan. (Alternatively, work in batches with 1 pan.)

  5. Step 5

    Reduce heat to medium and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fish is nicely browned on one side. Flip fillets with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes more, until fish flakes easily when probed.

  6. Step 6

    Transfer fish to warm platter or individual warmed plates. With a paring knife, cut herb butter into 8 thin slices and lay 2 slices atop each fillet. Sprinkle with extra herb blossoms, if you wish, and serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
92 user ratings
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Comments

Rob-in-Philly

Yum...so easy the "wows" come when serving and the herb flowers take their bow. I also add some small capers to the butter sauce at the finish...pairs well with herbed or saffron rice and asparagus or green beans.

Cedarglen

Flounder is a GREAT white fish and often very inexpensive. I've not made it with fresh herb blossoms, but dollops of (dried) herb butter are common for my table. As noted in this recipe, the only coating required is a light dusting of flour. For fish eaters, can it get any easier? If there is one 'secret,' it is likely not over cooking this delicate fish. As with sole as well, all fillets are not equal; a few will be mush and I've never learned a way to tell in the raw.

judys

This is great! Better than I expected. Husband isn’t a fan of flounder. I used cod, cooked a bit longer because was about an inch thick. Served with brown rice that I stirred some of the herb blossom butter into at the end, and sautéed kale from the garden. Didn’t have exactly the herb blossoms called for, used marjoram and mint blossoms along with the chive and thyme blossoms. Also the chopped dill and chives. Wonderful dinner.

Ann

I cook a lot but have always been leery of white fish. I thought it was high time I overcame my fear of overcooking, smelling up the house, etc., & this looked like a good place to start. The results proved me right. I used trout, which came out flaky & moist, & the herb butter was outstanding -- my adult daughter said she'd bathe in it if she could. One note: I couldn't find the herb flowers, so I used chives, dill & thyme from our garden & bought edible flowers to incorporate. Beautiful!

Karen in NY

This was a great recipe. I had all the herbs in my garden but not the flowers but it was still amazing. I love the idea of capers too. Thanks for the idea.

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