Flounder, fluke, Northern fluke, hirame, flatfish. This fish of many names is ever so popular with summer anglers here in North Carolina - and all along the eastern North America seaboard. The fish can be prepared in many ways: grilled, broiled, baked, fried, or pan-seared.
Happily, there are a number of crisp, white wines that pair well with flounder. The challenge is to select a wine that does not overpower the delicate fish. Eating flounder is an infrequent treat for most, so in today’s blog we’ll recommend some less common wines that often cost less than mediocre supermarket wine. We’ll also share our best tricks for catching and cooking flounder.
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What is Flounder
Flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) are a flat-bodied fish. At maturity, they generally have both eyes on one side (the left, colorful side) and no eyes on the right (bottom, white side). Mature flounder can range between two and three feet in length.
Flounder are primarily sold as fresh fish. Flounder populations are managed carefully by several councils and commissions in both inshore and offshore waters, as well as state and federal waters.
What Wines Go With Flounder
In selecting a white wine to pair with flounder, one might go for the default Sauvignon Blanc, mild Pinot Grigio, or any old Chardonnay.
The problem with such a general recommendation is that these grape varieties - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay - are international varieties, meaning that the style and quality can vary dramatically. An especially oaky Chardonnay might cover up the delicate flavor of the flounder. A run-of-the-mill Sauvignon Blanc may be too uninspiring to do the fish justice.
Here are a few more daring recommendations, many from one of our favorite wine pairing books - Daring Pairings, by Evan Goldstein. Our recommendations are all under $25 per bottle.
Assyrtiko (Dry)
This grape variety grows in Santorini, a Greek island in the Aegean Sea.
Garganega (Unoaked)
If you are having some stir fry or a salad tossed with ginger salad dressing, you might want to seek out Garganega from Italy’s Veneto Soave appellation. This is a highly acidic wine that is fragrant and aromatic. We’ve also heard that this wine pairs well with pesto.
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc that pairs well with simple preparations of flounder come from Alsace, Oregon USA or Italy. This wine pairs so well with most fish that it can easily serve as a “default” or “no-brainer” fish pairing wine. Seek out unoaked Pinot Blanc for the freshest expression of the grape.
White Vijariego
This is a white indigenous grape from the Canary Islands just southwest of Spain. These grapes struggle to grow in the volcanic sands of the island. The style of these wines is light and slightly aromatic.
Verdejo
This is a good wine for lovers of west coast Sauvignon Blanc (or someone stuck in a Sauvignon Blanc rut). This is a Spanish wine that might also be good for someone who thinks most white wines are “too weak.”
This wine has aromas of fruits like nectarine/peach, herbs, and a medium body. Some Verdejo wines will have a little residual sugar, so if you like a little sweetness, check with the bottle shop owner to see if your selection is more on the dry or slightly sweet side.
Vermentino
This variety is grown on Sardinia, Corsica, Provence, and Languedoc-Roussillon. The wine can be very aromatic. Try Vermentino if you like simply prepared flounder with a touch of salt and pepper. This would likely not be a good pairing if you made a rich or complex cream or hollandaise sauce.
If these wines are not available in your area, check with your local wine bottle shop for recommendations, especially if you are in the Mid-Atlantic of the United Staes where folks are familiar with this tasty fish and common preparations.
Can I Pair Flounder with Red Wine?
Yes, you can drink red wine with flounder. However, you might not taste the flounder after a few sips of most red wines, as flounder is an especially mild, flaky fish.
Depending upon how the flounder is prepared and if it is especially fleshy and fat, the combination of red wine and some flounder may give a metallic aftertaste.
Where To Get Flounder
Flounder are mostly sold as a fresh fish (not previously frozen). There are a few places to get fresh flounder here in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.
Seafood Store
In the Mid-Atlantic of the US, if you are within an hour of the coast, you likely have access to fresh fish at a farmers’ market or a seafood store like Motts Channel Seafood.
If you are at a distance from the coast but still in the Mid-Atlantic, then check with your local grocer in the meat counter. They can tell you if or when they will have flounder available or can request one for you from the fishmonger.
Catch A Flounder
Our favorite way to access flounder is to catch them.
Flounder are fairly easy to catch with some basic instruction and minimal gear. One does not need a boat to catch a flounder, especially in the late summer or early fall when the flounder migrate into the Intracoastal waters and hang out around docks or other structures accessible by foot.
How To Cook Flounder
Flounder can be prepared many ways, including grilled, baked, steamed, broiled, fried, or pan-fried (and more!).
Our favorite way to prepare our fresh flounder is to cook it skin-on, on the grill. We cook it in the skin as this fish is very delicate. If you filet it and remove it from the bones and/or flesh, it can be tricky to keep the filet in one piece without covering the filet in flour. We’d rather taste the fish than fried all-purpose flour.
As soon as we catch and clean the flounder (by removing its head, guts, and scraping of the scales with a flat knife), we salt the flounder and place it on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for 12 to 36 hours.
One hour before grilling, we remove the fish from the refrigerator, rinse off the salt, and pat the fish dry. We let it sit on the baking sheet to warm up to room temperature and season with our favorite spices sparingly. While it warms, we score the fish skin with a sharp knife so that the skin gets extra crispy when cooking, also allowing a little of the salt and spice to get into the fish flesh.
Finally, we grill the fish 3-5 minutes on each side, checking to see that the flesh of the fish is no longer opaque and that the fish flakes nicely.
Is Flounder Skin Edible?
Yes, flounder skin is edible. Enjoy!
Our Favorite Flounder Resources
Here are a few of our favorite resources on catching, preparing, and pairing wine with flounder.
Perfect Pairings
A very good resource if you prefer International grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.
Daring Pairings
This is a very good resource if you prefer often lower-cost (and perhaps a little more difficult to find) regional and indigenous grape varieties from around the world.
Flounder Lure
When fishing the often muddy Intracoastal waters of North Carolina, this is the bait we’ve had the best luck with.
Kosher Salt To Remove the Slime
For those who like a “salty salt,” this is a very good one for salting fish. It removes the slimy protective layer on the fish skin.
Weber Professional Grill Pan
We’ve recently downsized to a smaller home and gave away many of our grill accessories. This is one of three items that survived the cut! We especially like the easy cleanup and universality. You can use it with fish, vegetables, and any other delicate or small item cooked on the gas grill.
The Final Word on Flounder Pairings
Flounder is a light, delicate white fish that can be prepared in a number of ways. Though flounder can be enjoyed with red wine, we prefer a nice, crisp white wine, though not a typical Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay.
You can find flounder in a local market or you can catch it yourself. Either way, it’s best prepared when very fresh.
If you decide to grill your flounder and enjoy it outdoors, consider the Corkcicle to keep that white wine chilled throughout your meal.
Happy fishing!
Cheers!