122 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • Early Summer 2018 TheCoastalBend.com Cajun Stuffed Flounder What You Will Need 2 (2-pound) whole flounders, cleaned with a large pocket cut in the center 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 cup diced yellow onion ½ cup diced green bell pepper ½ cup diced red bell pepper ½ cup diced celery ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 tablespoon grated ginger 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons dry vermouth or dry white wine 1 teaspoon smoked paprika Dash of hot sauce Cajun seasoning 2 pounds medium-size raw Louisiana shrimp, shells removed 8 oz. Louisiana white lump crabmeat 1 cup fresh unseasoned bread crumbs 1 whole lemon, sliced thin Flounder is the gem of Southern Seafood cooking for its tender texture, rich succulent flavor and versatility in the kitchen. Enjoy this classic Louisiana recipe. What To Do • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. • Place the flounders on parchment-lined trays. Rub the skin with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper in the inside of each pocket. • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté until the onion turns translucent and then add the parsley, rosemary, garlic, and ginger. Continue cooking to combine the herbs and add lemon juice and vermouth. Season the mixture with smoked paprika, hot sauce, and a light sprinkle of Cajun seasoning. Remove from the heat. • Place the shrimp on a cutting board. Reserve a few of the whole shrimp to garnish the top of the stuffing on each flounder. Chop the rest of the shrimp in smaller bite-size pieces. Add the chopped shrimp and crabmeat to the mixture stirring to combine. Add only enough breadcrumbs a little at a time to reach the desired consistency of a moist stuffing. Set aside to cool. •To assemble the dish, spoon the stuffing mixture into the pocket of each flounder. Place a few of the shrimp on top of the stuffing. Season the fish with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a light sprinkle of paprika. Add lemon slices to the top of the fish. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes or until the thickest part of the fish easily flakes at the touch of a fork. • For serving, use two spatulas to gently move each flounder to a platter being careful not to break off the tail section. Serve with crusty French bread. Laguna Reef Laguna Reef has earned a reputation as a home of culinary creativity and skill with the tender bounty of the sea. For this food snob, crab cakes and whole flounder—each served as occasional specials at Laguna Reef—are the real test for seafood cooking because the chef is dealing with products that fully take on the spices and flavors to which they are exposed, not to mention the complex cleaning and preparation work involved. High quality standards perme- ate to all recipes on the menu, which includes just about every imaginable incarnation of grilled, broiled and fried seafood, many with a Cajun touch. La- guna Reef will cook your freshly caught and cleaned fish filets. Enjoy outdoor dining on beautiful Laguna Madre. 4242 Laguna Shores Rd. @ Bluff’s Landing Marina • (361) 937-2600 • $$$ Laguna Reef Padre Pizzeria Padre Pizzeria This popular island pizza joint has earned quite a reputation for great tast- ing pizza made from the freshest and highest quality ingredients. In addition to terrific classic pizzas, this place is known for its wide variety of delicious and slightly off the beaten path specialty pizzas like the Bacon Cheeseburger, the BBQ, the Greek, the Hot Wings pizza, the Padre Mexicana, the Thai Surprise, the Philly cheese steak, and the Creamy Siracha. You will also find fantastic rendi- tions of your classic specialties like the Sicilian, Veggies Galore, Meat Lovers, and of course the Kitchen Sink. If you make it past the pizza, you might also try a healthy salad, an Italian sub including the awesome Chicken Parm, calzones, and a nice and sweet dessert selection. 14493 S. Padre Island Dr. • (361) 949- 0787 • PadrePizzeria.com • $$ Texas Mesquite BBQ & Grill Padre Island’s single barbecue joint is owned by two veterans of Corpus Christi’s restaurant industry, manager Debra Foster and chef and pit master Or- lando Quintanilla. By that summer island visitors and residents were enjoying a new menu that not only took the quality of the restaurant’s Texas barbecue to new heights, but also introduced a new layer of gourmet cuisine to the island. Quintanilla learned to appreciate real South Texas cooking growing up on the King Ranch. His skill translates into the delicious, tender and perfectly prepared brisket, ribs, sausage, chicken, turkey and pulled pork that your find at Texas Mesquite. Everything here is homemade, including rubs and sauces that contain the most tasteful and natural ingredients like hand-selected peppers and spices. 14457 S. Padre Island Dr. • (361) 949- 0065 • TexasMesquiteBBQ.com • $$ Texas Mesquite BBQ Costa Sur Chef Nick Mackrizz has created a diverse menu inspired by his native Peru, that includes fish tacos, Peruvian style fried rice and lo mein, sautéed chicken breast and tenderloin, seared or fried fresh fish of the day, and of course, the one-of-a- kind Peruvian Ceviche that made him famous on the island! This ceviche is an experience that will change how you think about fish, and maybe how you think about your entire, daily diet. It’s that good, and good for you. Costa Sur recently unveiled their greatly expanded space, which added a new cocktail bar, a new ceviche bar and tripled the size of their original space. 15113 S. Padre Island Dr. on North Padre Island • (361) 945-8303 • CostaSurCC.com • $$$ Costa Sur