955. GRILLED FLOUNDER PASTA with MUSSELS and CLAMS in a BACON and CREAM SAUCE

serves 4


2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup red onion, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 slices partially cooked bacon, diced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 zucchini, grilled and thinly sliced
¼ cup Riesling wine
salt, to taste
½ cup heavy cream,
4 x 6-8 oz flounder fillets, boneless and skinless
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon barbecue seasoning
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 lb. clams
1 lb. mussels
drizzle beer
2-3 portions pre-cooked fusilli pasta

To prepare the Bacon and Cream Sauce, in a sauté pan, add butter, red onion, onion, garlic and bacon. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing to combine. Add rosemary, thyme and grilled zucchini and toss to combine. Reduce heat to low.

Preheat grill to medium-high (about 500°F).

Season flounder fillets with salt and barbecue seasoning, pressing the spices into the flesh to adhere. Sprinkle seasoned flounder fillets with breadcrumbs and pat into flesh to form a crust.

Place crusted flounder fillets, clams and mussels onto the grill. Drizzle the clams and mussels with a little beer and close lid, allowing the mussels and clams to steam and the flounder to grill. Gently turn the flounder fillets and continue grilling until fish is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork, about 4 to 5 minutes per side, being careful not to over cook the flounder, which is a very lean fish.

While the fish and seafood grills and steams add the Riesling wine to the sautéed vegetables to deglaze the pan. Bring to the boil and season with salt to taste. Add the heavy cream, reduce heat to low and simmer. Add the precooked fusilli and toss to combine.

To serve, place the pasta in a bowl. Garnish the pasta with clams and mussels in an alternating pattern around the pasta, discarding any un-open clams or mussels. Carefully remove flounder from grill and place in the center of the pasta. Serve immediately.


courtesy of: Fishing the Flats, with Henry Waszczuk, 1299 Gillespie Avenue, North Port, Florida 34286, (941) 423-8650