Crispy Summer Flounder Recipe with Scallion-Corn Ragout
Toasted wheat germ and cornmeal combine to create a light, crunchy crust in this summer flounder recipe. Serve with homemade tartar sauce.

Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanToasted wheat germ and cornmeal combine to create a light, crunchy crust in this summer flounder recipe from 2007, which also tastes wonderful with homemade tartar sauce. A scallion-corn ragout only brightens the flavor of the delicate fish. Soaking the flounder fillets in milk before cooking plumps the meat and helps keep it moist.
Yield:
4 to 6 servingsIngredients
1-1/2 pounds boneless summer flounder (fluke) fillets
1 cup milk
2 bunches scallions (about 6), trimmed and thinly sliced
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups corn kernels (about 5 ears)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup packed small fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup minced chives
1 large lemon, cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
Place fish in a large dish and cover with milk. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook scallions in 2 tablespoons oil until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic and corn; cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and keep warm.
Combine wheat germ, cornmeal, salt, and cayenne in a large, flat dish. Whisk to mix. Remove fish from refrigerator and drain off milk. Dredge each fillet in wheat germ-cornmeal mixture and place on a baking sheet. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large, nonstick skillet over high setting. Place half the fillets in pan and cook 3 minutes on each side, adding more oil and adjusting heat slightly if they start to brown too quickly. Transfer cooked fillets to a platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and cook remaining flounder.
Just before serving, stir basil and chives into corn ragout. Season with salt to taste. Spoon some ragout onto individual plates and top each serving with a fish fillet and lemon wedge. Let guests squeeze lemon over fish at the table.
I have been making this recipe for my family and guests since it first appeared in Yankee. Everyone LOVES it, I have learned to make extra Ragout because it is such a hit when the fresh corn and chives from the garden are so beautiful! I misplaced the recipe and was so happy to find it still on the Yankee website – thank you! We are going to try it with earlier Georgia corn because we can’t wait several more months for Massachusetts corn.