Recipe: Sand Dabs Grenobloise

Recipes title

Sand Dabs Grenobloise

Serving Size: 1

2 each Sand Dabs, Large—or small flounder
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp sugar
salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil light—to fry
3 tbs butter
1 each lemon—peeled and cubed
1 tbl capers
1 tbl parsley chopped
1 each lemon—quartered
2 each parsley small bunches

Preparation

Dredge the fish in the seasoned flour*. Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the fish on each side, turning only once. You want the oil hot but not smoking. Olive oil becomes fragrant when it wants you to fry. You will want a spatula and a fork for this. Remove the cooked fish to a plate garnished with parsley bunch and lemon wedges. Lower the heat, and dump any excess oil, add butter and when it foams and is just starting to brown, add the diced lemon and its juice, and the drained capers. It will seethe and froth, and the butter will brown, Add a dash of the caper vinegar, chopped parsley and spoon it over the fish.

*Sugar in seasoned flour? Am I nuts? Well, yes I am, but it is a trick I learned in China. The sugar caramelizes when the fish is cooking, and the crust is darker and crisper. The amount given is approximate, as I was shown, "See, we toss a little sugar in the flour to make the fish crisp and brown." That's the way I do it, and you will have to learn like I did, a little at a time. Start with only a little, and as you gain experience, you can get braver, just like me.

Suggested Wine: Ice Tea or Beer, not wine.
Serving Ideas: Matchstick French Fries, Fresh Tomato and Basil Salad

Notes: Sand Dabs are a species of small flounder abundant on Long Island in the summer. They are not very meaty, but are very sweet. If they are small, you will need 2 per person. This also works well with baby bluefish, called snappers, or blue snappers, and butterfish. These are all inexpensive summertime fish. Kids love to catch them on a pole. Come to think of it, little sunnies (sunfish) can be prepared this way. It is basically a way to cook small fish that it doesn't pay to filet. Freshness is part of the recipe's appeal.