What Good Could Come from Fish and Cheese?

Good evening everyone!  In the culinary world, there are some combinations that are meant to be together, then there are those that shouldn't be touched.  While it's somewhat intriguing to try to understand why these flavors just don't match up, it's almost tempting to just try and find out what would happen.  Tonight, we take a basic no-no in the cooking realm and found out what happens when you marry the two together.

The Recipe: Baked Stuffed Flounder
Original Recipe Found In:  Good Eats: Flat is Beautiful III

What You'll Need:
2 Tablespoons unsalted Butter
1 medium Onion, chopped
1/2 Teaspoon kosher Salt
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 (10 Ounce package) frozen chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 Lemon, zested
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 Cup White Wine
10 Ounces grated Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 to 2 Pounds Flounder fillets
3 Cups cooked White Rice

To start, preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once the pan has heated, add the butter to melt.  Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat the onions down until they become translucent, about five to seven minutes.  Add the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about one minute.  Next, add the spinach and lemon zest and stir to cook through.  Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley and stir to combine.  Once all the ingredients are combined and fully heated, remove from the heat.

While the onion and spinach mixture is cooking, you can begin to cook your sauce.  In a medium saucepan, add the heavy cream and wine and heat over medium heat.  Once the mixture begins to come to simmer, about three to four minutes, gradually add the cheese.  Add the cheese about one hand pinch at a time and stir with a whisk until each batch of cheese is melted, about thirty seconds.  Once all the cheese has melted, set aside and keep warm.

Next, place the fillets on a clean baking sheet and season each side with salt and pepper.  Divide the spinach mixture evenly among the fillets and roll the two ends of the fish on top of the spinach mixture.  In a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish, add the risk and spread evenly.  Place each fish roll on top of the rice, seam side down.  

Pour the cheese sauce over the fish and rice.  Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes.  Scoop each fish roll and some rice with two serving spoons, serve, and enjoy!

The End Result:

We have always kind of shied away the combination of fish and cheese, knowing that these two are meant for each other.  But this dish definitely proved that notion wrong.  The fish was light and fluffy and didn't weigh the rest of the recipe down.  The spinach and onion stuffing was just enough to add to the fish flavor.  But I think the real winner was the cheese sauce and rice.  The fish does soak up some of that sauce, and it does add quite a bit of flavor.  But the rice definitely soaks in that cheese and makes in a whole new dish on its own.  The cheese might be a bit too much for some, but I love how all these flavors together created something new!

That's all we have for you this evening.  Thanks for checking out what we've been cooking this week and check back soon for brand new updates.  Until then,

~Cheers!