Ingredients Seafood Fish Flounder Flounder with Herbed Couscous 2.0 (1) 1 Review A puree of parsley and scallions mixed with lemon juice and oil both flavors the couscous and acts as a sauce for the fish. By Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski Emily Ziemski is a recipe developer, editor, and food writer with a focus on sustainability and wellness. Previously a senior food editor at Well+Good and food editor at Food52, she's best known for the creation of the Dirty Martini Salad Dressing (for which she apologizes). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 25, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: © Melanie Acevedo Total Time: 45 mins Servings: 4 Yield: 4 Jump to recipe A bright parsley-and-scallion puree flavors both the couscous and delicate flounder.A light dusting of flour gives the flounder a golden, crisp exterior when sautéed.The dish is versatile, allowing for substitutions with other mild-tasting fish or herbs, making it adaptable to personal preferences and ingredient availability. White fish shines with bright flavors, and this dish is no exception. A puree of parsley and scallions, sharpened with lemon juice, flavors both the couscous and delicate flounder, while a light coating of flour gives the fish a golden, crisp exterior. What is flounder? Flounder is a flatfish with mild, delicate flesh that cooks quickly. As bottom-dwelling fish, flounder have both eyes on one side of their body, an adaptation that allows them to lie flat on the seafloor. Flounder is typically sold as fillets, making it convenient to prepare at home, and its delicate texture is well suited to quick-cooking methods such as sautéing, poaching, steaming, and broiling. The 9 Best Fish for Your Health, Ranked by Dietitians Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Any mild-tasting fish fillets will go well with the relatively delicate sauce. Try lake perch, whiting, croaker, drum, or bass, or, of course, any of the flounder family, such as lemon or gray sole.For a more aromatic flavor profile, make the herb puree with 1/4 cup fresh basil and 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley. Suggested pairing Match the tartness of the lemon juice with an acidic white wine. Try a good-quality Soave or Orvieto from Italy. Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. This recipe was developed at its original yield. Ingredient amounts are automatically adjusted, but cooking times and steps remain unchanged. Note that not all recipes scale perfectly. Original recipe (1X) yields 4 servings 3/4 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 scallions, including green tops, chopped 2 teaspoons lemon juice 4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided 2 1/4 cups water, divided 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided 1 1/3 cups couscous 2 pounds flounder fillets, cut to make 4 pieces 1/4 cup all-purpose flour Directions In a blender, puree the parsley and scallions with the lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/4 cup of the water, and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. In a medium saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups water to a boil with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the parsley puree and the couscous. Cover, remove from the heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dust the flounder with the flour and shake off any excess. Sauté the fish until brown and just done, about 2 minutes per side for 1/2-inch-thick fillets. Serve the fish on the couscous with the remaining parsley puree on top. This recipe was first published in Food & Wine’s 1997 cookbook, Quick From Scratch Fish & Shellfish; the text was written in part by Emily Ziemski. Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.