Spinach Stuffed Flounder

Spinach stuffed flounder is a tasty seafood dish that combines flaky white flounder that's rolled around a spinach and feta stuffing and baked in a buttery white wine sauce. Stuffed flounder is perfect for weeknights and can be ready in under 40 minutes.

Stuffed flounder is a dish that is found in many Italian-American restaurants here on Long Island, and at many seafood counters as a pre-made item.

Often it will be stuffed with crab meat or other ingredients and while we love that, this Greek-style spinach-stuffed flounder is a little easier on the budget.

Much like our fried flounder, this recipe is perfect for picky eaters (even those who don't like fish) and needs only a squeeze of lemon to finish it off.

How to make it

Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.

1. Dice 1 large shallot and mince 4 cloves of garlic.  Crumble 4 ounces worth of feta cheese and slice 1 large lemon into wedges. Heat a large pan to medium and add 3 tablespoons of butter and the shallot.  Saute for 3-4 minutes until the shallot softens, then add half the garlic and cook until fragrant.

2. Add a ½ pound of baby spinach.
3. Cook the spinach until wilted, then remove the pan from the heat and squeeze out any excess water.

4. Mix the spinach with the feta, 3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, and 1 teaspoon of Greek or Sicilian oregano. 
5. Taste test and season with salt and pepper as needed.  Once satisfied with the taste, add 1 large egg to the mixture and combine.  Note:  Feta is often very salty, so be careful with the amount of salt you add at this point.

6. Preheat the oven to 375f and set a rack to the middle level.  Lay out 1 ½ pounds of thin flounder fillets.  If the fillets aren't wide enough, use two fillets together, overlapping slightly. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then divide the stuffing between each section of fish.  Note: you should have 4-6 rolls depending on the thickness of the fillets.
7. Roll the fish and place it seam-side down in a baking dish.

8. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, the remaining garlic, and a ¼ cup of low-sodium chicken stock to the pan.  Pour 3 tablespoons of dry white wine over the fish.
9. Sprinkle each fish roll with paprika (¼ teaspoon worth for all fish combined), plus salt and pepper to taste.

10. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is flaky and cooked through.  Spoon the pan sauce over the fish and serve with lemon wedges.

Top tips 

• Flounder. When selecting the flounder to use for this recipe, ask your fishmonger for the thinnest flounder fillets.  The thicker the fillet, the more difficult it will be to roll. If you can't find flounder, other flat fish such as fluke, sole, or tilapia can be used.  You will have 4-6 rolls depending on the thickness of the fillets.  We had 10 thin pieces and used two each for a total of 5 rolls.
• Cheese. If you don't want to use feta, you can easily substitute with another type of cheese such as parmesan or Pecorino, or omit the cheese entirely and just use a bit more breadcrumbs.
• Wine. We used Sauvignon blanc for this recipe but any dry white wine will do.  If you wish to not use alcohol, simply omit the wine.
• Stock. We used low-sodium chicken stock for this recipe, but you can replace it with vegetable stock if you're looking to make this pescatarian-friendly.
• Baking time. The baking time will vary based on the thickness of your fish and your oven so use our baking time as a rough guide. 

More great seafood recipes

Here are a few of our favorite seafood recipes we think you'll love!

• Salmon oreganta - garlicky breadcrumbs, flaky salmon, and lemon in less than 30 minutes.
• Swordfish with olives - pan-seared swordfish steaks with capers and olives.
• Shrimp Francese - butterflied battered shrimp simmered in a lemon butter sauce.

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