Taste the World: Whole Roasted Flounder with Espelette Pepper and Fried Curry Leaves

Experience what the world has to offer with a recipe from acclaimed Chef Clayton Wells. As part of our Taste Dining at Home series, in partnership with Taste Festivals, we’ve invited globally renowned chefs to create recipes to help you make the most out of every day at home.

To follow along with Chef Clayton as he makes the full recipe, watch the video below. And to find Chef O Tama’s curried clams recipe also featured in this video, click here.

Whole Roasted Flounder with Espelette Pepper and Fried Curry Leaves

By Chef Clayton Wells

What You’ll Need (Serves 4)

450-550 g whole yellow belly flounder
20 g espelette pepper
50 g grapeseed oil
60 g unsalted butter
5 g sea salt
10 g curry leaves
½ a lemon

How to Prepare It

Fry the picked curry leaves for 20 seconds at 350° F. Remove and drain on a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Prepare the flounder by scaling and removing the gut and roe. Trim the tail with scissors.

Season the flounder on both sides with sea salt and then sprinkle an even layer of espelette pepper over the fish. Pat off any excess. 

Heat a large base frying pan to low-medium heat and add the grapeseed oil.

Place the seasoned flounder into the pan and raise heat to medium-high. Cook in the pan for 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the flounder to the oven and cook for 6 minutes.

Remove flounder from the oven and place it back on the stove on medium heat. Add butter.

Baste the flounder in the butter for approximately 5 minutes until the fish has cooked all the way through. The best way to test this is to insert a cake tester in the thickest part of the fish and it should have no resistance.

Remove the flounder from the pan and spoon the espelette butter over the fish. Garnish with lemon and fried curry leaves.