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Fried Flounder

Erken's classic breaded and fried flounder from 1914: the fish is cleaned, dried, dredged in seasoned flour, egg, and sifted rusk crumbs, and fried in butter or lard until crisp. Served with browned butter, lemon or ravigote butter, tartar butter, or tomato sauce.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 83 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

From the fish chapter in Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914). Flounder was a highly prized festive fish, and Erken gives both boiled and fried preparations with French terms in parentheses, as was customary in the bourgeois cookery of the time.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Clean the fish

    Clean the flounder as for boiled flounder: scrape off the slime, cut off the head and fins, and wash the fish well in several changes of water. If desired, cut it into slices about two fingers wide.

  2. 2

    Pat dry

    Pat the pieces well dry with a clean kitchen towel (the fish cloth) so the breading adheres.

  3. 3

    Bread

    Mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the fish pieces first in the flour mixture, then in lightly beaten egg, and finally in finely ground, sifted rusk crumbs.

  4. 4

    Fry

    Fry the fish in butter or lard over medium heat until it is nicely brown and crisp, about 4–6 minutes per side depending on thickness.

  5. 5

    Brown the butter

    Brown butter in a clean pan until it smells nutty, and pour it over the fish at serving.

  6. 6

    Serve

    Serve the fish with lemon wedges and browned butter. Ravigote butter, tartar butter, or tomato sauce can also be used as accompaniments.

Changes from the original

Amounts are estimated and given in modern measures where the original merely lists the ingredients without quantities. Lard is given with butter as an alternative, and "crushed, sifted rusk" is modernized to finely ground rusk/breadcrumbs. Frying time and temperature are added as guidance.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

1914 (proofread, p. 83) → Modernised~86% of the text changedremovedadded
1 1/2 kg. flyndrer mel 1,5 kg flyndre (renset, i skiver eller hel). 4 ss hvetemel. 2 stk egg (lettvispet). 150 g kavring salt pepper citron smult. Fisken renses (finmalt og behandles siktet (griljermel)). 2 ts salt. 0,5 ts pepper. 1 stk sitron (til servering). 150 g smult eller smør (til steking). 50 g smør (til brunet smør). Rens flyndren som til kokt flyndre. Stykkerne avtørres flyndre: skrap av slimet, skjær av hode og finner, og vask fisken godt i fiskeklædet, vendes flere vann. Skjær den eventuelt i det blandede skiver på ca. to fingers bredde.. Tørk stykkene godt av med et rent kjøkkenhåndkle (fiskekledet), så panerigen fester seg.. Bland mel, salt og pepper, derpaa pepper. Vend fiskestykkene først i melblandingen, deretter i lettvispet egg og tilsidst til slutt i støtt, sigtet kavring. Fisken stekes finmalt, siktet kavring.. Stek fisken i smør eller i smult, smult over middels varme til den er pent brun og sprød. Smørret brunes og serveres til fisken. Som saus benyttes ogsaa sprø, ca. 4–6 minutter på hver side avhengig av tykkelsen.. Brun smør i en ren panne til det dufter nøtteaktig, og hell det over fisken ved servering.. Server fisken med sitronbåter og brunet smør. Smør à la ravigote, tartarsmør eller tomatsaus. tomatsaus kan også brukes som tilbehør.

Note on Modernised

Mengder er anslått og oppgitt i moderne mål der originalen bare lister ingrediensene uten mengde. Smult er angitt med smør som alternativ, og «støtt, sigtet kavring» er modernisert til finmalt kavring/griljermel. Steketid og temperatur er lagt til som veiledning.

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Frequently asked questions

How is the flounder breaded?
The fish is patted dry in the fish cloth, dredged first in flour mixed with salt and pepper, then in beaten egg, and finally in crushed, sifted rusk crumbs.
What is the fish fried in?
In butter or lard, until it is nicely brown and crisp. Browned butter is served alongside.
Which sauces go with it?
According to the recipe, browned butter, ravigote butter, tartar butter, or tomato sauce. Lemon belongs with it too.
How much fish do I need for four people?
The recipe from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914, p. 83) reckons 1 1/2 kg of flounder for 4 servings, with a total time of about 40 minutes.

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