Eating dab/flounder

[scrob]

Caught a decent sized flatfish at the weekend, near sure it was a dab, rough skin when running hand towards head and smooth/slimy when running towards the tail. Or could it have been a flounder? It was sand coloured with some very pale orange spots.

Anyway I put him in the oven in tin foil for 15min and then had him for the dinner. To be honest I wasn't too fussed on the taste and my sister said the same. He was fresh enough, probably only dead about 4 hours or so.

How do you guys find flatties to eat? I don't want to kill them if they are no good eating. Should I stick to targetting plaice and turbot?

[hugo]

Sounds like a dab all right (except they're not usually any great size) might have been a spent fish just back inshore from spawning, they never taste great.

I'd eat any flat with the exception of flounder caught in an estuary, fairly muddy tasting. Next time try taking off the fillets, coating them in seasoned flour and frying. Cant bate the oul pan

[nicefish]

Mate of mine loves them he just does them in the microwave and has them on bread

[Jayball10]

Had a few dab I caught for dinner last week. Very nice!. Filleted, rolled in flower and fried with some garlic butter.

[roger de dodger]

i like plaice and hate flounder halibut is nice

[southaussie]

I usually fillet them with the rest of them dip them in cornflour then fry a lil lemon juice squeezed over the top whilst frying is nice, ive 4 kids this is there fav type of fish.

[bigbadtom]

Ya cant beat some fresh turbot.

[Murf]

Best advice I ever got about cooking any fish is this
"don't dick about with it"

roll it in flour
Fry it in Butter

Natures bounty };>

[concancook]

Next time u get one just gut it and pan fry it in oil and butter,a flatfish cooked in foil for 15 mins in the oven is going to be very dry unless cooked with butter or a drop of wine so the pan is your man

[Donnyboy1]

Yep, flatfish greatly depend on the area caught, flounder is lovely from the open sea.

[no1dubliner]

any flatfish. a hot pan stick it in and a good sup of wine lid on 5 mins lovely.

[RockHunter]

Flounder is best filleted and fried, they don't taste too nice when baked in the oven.
The first large flounder I kept I cooked in the oven and wasn't too keen on it at all. After that I used to throw them all back until I got a very deeply hooked 40 cm + flounder, so I decided to fillet it and fry it coated in a mixture of seasoned flower and corn flower - it tasted great

[brendan taaffe]

I've had flounder flounder from clean sand beaches, taste great on the pan with butter and a little olive oil. Never had them from muddy esturies but I doubt they would taste as good.

[jhr111]

flounder from estuarys taste muddy but ones from beaches are fine