Flounder Roll-Ups -- Rolled with Care the Week Colette Began Her Journey

Colette begins her nursing program in Baton Rouge. Lives at home to save money. Studies at the kitchen table while Tommy cooks around her.

Tommy is 42. Luc (18) at LSU studying engineering. Colette (15) in high school, painting. Rémy (13) in school, cooking and fishing. Mama (68) in the cottage, slowing but cooking The week was marked by this moment — Colette starts nursing school — and the food was made to match the moment, because in this family, every moment has a dish and every dish has a moment and the two are inseparable, the way the roux is inseparable from the gumbo, the way the Beaumonts are inseparable from the bayou.

Made corn and crab bisque because the week demanded it and the kitchen answered and the stove held steady and the family gathered and the food was good. The chain holds.

I wanted something that took a little patience — something you had to fold carefully and tend to, the way Colette is going to tend to people for the rest of her life. Flounder roll-ups felt right: delicate fish, rolled around a filling worth protecting, held together just long enough to become something whole. She studied at that kitchen table while I worked, and I kept thinking about how she’s going to roll up her sleeves every day and show up for strangers the way we show up for each other. This one was for her.

Flounder Roll-Ups

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 flounder fillets (about 6 oz each), patted dry
• 1/2 cup cooked crabmeat or small shrimp, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth
• Fresh parsley and lemon wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Make the filling. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, crabmeat or shrimp, green onion, lemon juice, Old Bay, and garlic powder. Stir until well blended. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Season the fish. Lay flounder fillets flat on a clean surface. Season the top side of each fillet with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Fill and roll. Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of filling onto the wider end of each fillet. Roll up snugly from the wide end to the narrow end and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
5. Add liquid and butter. Pour the white wine or broth into the bottom of the dish. Drizzle melted butter over the tops of the roll-ups.
6. Bake. Bake uncovered for 22–25 minutes, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily with a fork, and the tops are lightly golden.
7. Serve. Spoon pan juices over the roll-ups. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges alongside rice, grits, or crusty French bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 280 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 4g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 480mg