Ingredients

  • 6 thin, skinless, boneless fillets of flounder or sea bass, each weighing about 1/4 pound (see note)
  • Salt to taste if desired
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Cold water
  • Seafood sauce (see recipe)

    6 servings

    Preparation

    1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
    2. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper to taste.
    3. Rub surface of flat, metal, heat-proof baking sheet with butter. Arrange fillets flat on surface with comfortable space between.
    4. Hold palm of hand under cold water and when generously wet pat each fillet to coat lightly with water.
    5. Place baking sheet in oven. If gas oven is used, place it on floor; if electric oven with heating element exposed is used, place sheet on bottom rack. Close door and bake 3 minutes or just until fish loses raw look. Do not overcook or fish will become dry. Serve on individual plates with seafood sauce spooned over.
    • The fillets must be thin, approximately a quarter of an inch thick or slightly less.
    • Preparing the Fillets
    • Mr. Blanc’s technique for preparing fillets: Place one fillet at a time on flat surface. Hold very sharp slicing knife at diagonal and carefully cut thin, long slices, each about 1/4 inch thick, from one end of fillet. Place slice on buttered baking sheet. Cut another slice and add to first, edge slightly overlapping. Continue cutting and arranging to make one portion. When fish bakes, overlapping slices will tend to seal together. Continue until you have six serving portions. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

    15 minutes

    Dining and Cooking