Moroccan Flounder

I like this recipe for any holiday or special event because the sauce can be made up to 3 days before and then the fish itself is cooked on the day you eat it. I’m not a fan of day old cooked fish, so I will defrost the fish the day before in the refrigerator and I will cook the dish the morning of the meal.

Ingredients:

4 large flounder filets, bones removed

2 large leeks, cut small and washed really well

4 cloves garlic, chopped (or 4 frozen cubes)

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch rounds

2 red peppers, sliced thin

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

1 and 1/3 cups water

2 teaspoons paprika

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon coriander

1 and ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon + 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. (350 convection)

Take your flounder and lay out in a pretty oven to table dish.

Set a heavy pot (I love to use my cast iron Le Creuset) over a medium flame to heat.

Making sure your leeks are completely dry, sauté them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook them for 4 minutes stirring every so often. Add the carrots plus 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook another 4 minutes. Add your peppers plus 2 more teaspoons of the oil and another ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Add your tomato paste, water, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne and ½ teaspoon of salt. Simmer on low for 5 more minutes, stirring the vegetables every minute to make sure they aren’t burning.

Pour your vegetable mixture over the fish. Using a silicone spatula, spread the vegetables out over all the fish so that everything is covered.

Plan ahead:

The sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. The fish should be cooked the day of serving, or maximum of 1 day before serving.