Welcome to the summary page for FabulousFusionFood's Cook's Guide entry for Flatfish along with all the Flatfish containing recipes presented on this site, with 33 recipes in total.

This is a continuation of an entire series of pages that will, I hope, allow my visitors to better navigate this site. As well as displaying recipes by name, country and region of origin I am now planning a whole series of pages where recipes can be located by meal type and main ingredient. This page gives a listing of all the Flatfish recipes added to this site.

These recipes, all contain Flatfish as a major wild food ingredient.

Flatfish are an order (Pleuronectiformes) of ray-finned demersal fish, In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development. Some species face their left side upward, some face their right side upward, and others face either side upward. The surface of the fish facing away from the sea floor is pigmented, often serving to camouflage the fish, but sometimes with striking coloured patterns. Some flatfish are also able to change their pigmentation to match the background, in a manner similar to a chameleon. The side of the body without the eyes, which faces the seabed, is usually colourless or very pale.

A number of flatfish are both economically and culinarily important. The main eating species are described below:

Halibut The halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders (Pleuronectidae), the main species being the Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus and the Pacific halibut, Hippoglossus stenolepis. Halibuts represent the largest of all the flatfish, averaging 12kg (though specimens up to 333kg have been caught). They are grey-black on the top side with an off-white underbelly and have very small scales invisible to the naked eye embedded in their skin.[8] At birth they have an eye on each side of the head, and swim like a salmon. After six months one eye migrates to the other side, making them look more like flounder. At the same time the stationary-eyed side darkens to match the top side, while the other side remains white. This colour scheme disguises halibut from above (blending with the ocean floor) and from below (blending into the light from the sky) and is known as countershading. The flesh of the halibut has a dense and firm texture and is typically eaten fresh (either grilled, fried or steamed). The flesh is very lean and has a clean taste that requires little seasoning.

Turbot The turbot, Scophthalmus maximus is a species of flatfish in the family Scophthalmidae. It is a demersal fish native to marine or brackish waters of the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) is a large left-eyed flatfish found primarily close to shore in sandy shallow waters throughout the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the North Atlantic. The European turbot has an asymmetrical disk-shaped body, and has been known to grow up to 100cm long and 25kg in weight. Turbot have been prized since Roman times (Apicius has several recipes). The Victorians were particularly fond of this fish, due to its firm texture and subtle flavour. Turbot has a bright white flesh that retains this appearance when cooked. Like all flatfish, turbot yields four fillets with meatier topside portions that may be baked, poached or pan-fried.

Plaice is the common name for four species of right-eyed flatfish belonging to the Pleuronectidae family. Of the four species, the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice the European plaice is the commercially most important (and the principal commercial flatfish in Europe, followed by the American plaice). The European plaice, Pleuronectes platessa is a right-eyed flounder belonging to the Pleuronectidae family. They are a commercially important flatfish which lives on the sandy bottoms of the European shelf. European plaice are characterised by their smooth brown skin, with distinctive red spots and bony ridge behind the eyes. They feed on polychaetes, crustaceans and bivalves and can be found at depths up to 200 metres. At night they move into shallow waters to feed, and during the day they bury themselves in the sand. Their maximum recorded length is 100cm and maximum reported age 50 years. Plaice can be fried, deep fried or poached and steamed. The flesh is firm of texture and light in flavour. It is often battered and deep fried to cook.

Sole represents a group of flatfish belonging to several families. Generally speaking, they are members of the family Soleidae, but, outside Europe, the name sole is also applied to various other similar flatfish, especially other members of the sole suborder Soleoidei as well as members of the flounder family. In European cookery, there are several species which may be considered true soles, but the common or Dover sole Solea solea, often simply called the sole, is the most esteemed and most widely available.. Of the soles, the Dover Sole Solea solea and the Lemon Sole, Microstomus kitt are the culinarily most important and most esteemed. In Britain, the English sole, Parophrys vetulus is also sometimes sold as Lemon Sole. Both the Dover Sole and the Lemon Sole are right-eyed flatfish. Chefs prize Dover sole for its mild, buttery sweet flavour and versatility and for its ease of filleting. The fish yields fillets that hold together well in a variety of recipes. The fish is names a 'Dover Sole', as the port of Dover on the English south coast was the main port for the landing of sole in the 19th century

Flounder represents a group of flatfish species that are demersal fish found at the bottom of coastal lagoons and estuaries of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In Europe, the main species is the European flounder, Platichthys flesus. The European flounder is oval in shape and is usually right-eyed. It usually grows to 25-30 cm in length, although lengths up to 50 cm have been recorded. The upper surface is usually dull brown in colour with reddish-brown blotches and the underside is white. This fish can change colour to suit its background, providing an effective camouflage. The lateral line features rows of small tubercles, as do the bases of the dorsal and anal fins. This species was accidentally introduced into the USA and Canada accidentally through transport in ballast water. Though not as prized as the other flatfish described above, the flounder remains a good eating fish and is often caught by anglers. Like other flatfish it can be fried, baked, poached and steamed.

Common Dab. The common dab, Limanda limanda, is an edible flatfish of the family Pleuronectidae. It is a demersal fish native to shallow seas around Northern Europe, in particular the North Sea. It can reach 40cm in length and can weigh up to 1kg, though most specimens grow no longer than 30cm. The common dab has a similar appearance to both the plaice and the flounder, and similarly has both its eyes on the right-hand side of its body. The upper surface is usually pale brown in colour with scattered darker blotches and speckles, but the pectoral fins may be orange. The lateral line is marked by a distinctive semi-circular curve above the pectoral fin. Though a decent eating fish, and very abundant, dabs are only occasionally landed as a commercial catch, sometimes as a by-catch of other targeted species. However, it was commercially caught in Victorian times and is still fished for by sea anglers.

Brill. The brill, Scophthalmus rhombus, is a species of flatfish in the turbot family (Scophthalmidae) of the order Pleuronectiformes. Brill can be found in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and Mediterranean, primarily in deeper offshore waters. The brill have slender bodies, brown with lighter and darker coloured flecks covering its body, excluding the tail-fin; the underside of the fish is usually cream coloured or pinkish white. Like other flatfish the brill has the ability to match its colour to the surroundings. Brills are on average between 40 cm to 75 cm in length and weigh up 3 kg. Part of the dorsal fin of the fish is not connected to the fin membrane, which gives the fish a frilly appearance. Though a decent eating fish (and a close relative of turbot), and very abundant, the is only occasionally landed as a commercial catch, sometimes as a by-catch of other targeted species. However, it was commercially caught in Victorian times and is still fished for by sea anglers.