Flounder are the most important flatfish family. They are found in waters between 130 and 230 feet deep on sandy bottoms and can live up to 17 years.

Their Latin name, Pleuronectidae, means “sideswimmer” because they start out as round fish but as they mature and become bottom-dwellers, one eye migrates to the same side of the head as the other eye and the fish actually swim on their sides.

There are right-eyed and left-eyed flounders. They use color adaptation to match the ocean floor and may partially bury themselves for camouflage.

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Cooking & Handling

Store flounder fillets up to 1 day refrigerated.

Flounder is a good, low-fat source of B vitamins and an excellent source of niacin.

Avoid sauces and herbs that overpower the flounder’s delicate taste. Fillets from large fish may be stuffed, rolled and baked. Flounder is quite lean, so do not overcook. As soon as flesh is opaque, it is done.

Flavors that work well with flounder are bell pepper, butter, chervil, chives, cream, dill, fennel, gruyére cheese, lemon, mint, mushroom, parmesan cheese, parsley, shallot, spinach, tarragon, tomato, white vermouth, white wine and zucchini.

Cooking Methods
Bake, Broil, Fry, Sauté

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Global Supply

china	iceland	netherlands
portugal	russia	spain
United Kingdom	United States

Seasonal Availability
Fresh and frozen are available year-round. Peak seasons are May-June and October-November.