Flounder Fillets With Tomato Sauce

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to low, or 150 degrees. Mix the flour, salt and pepper and dip the fillets in the mixture to coat both sides. Shake off the excess. Heat a large skillet very hot, add the clarified butter and when it is very hot fry the fillets quickly, turning them once, until they are golden brown on both sides (about 2 minutes or less, all told). Remove the fillets to dinner plates and keep warm in the oven.

2. Step 2

   Pour off any remaining clarified butter or oil from the skillet, add 2 tablespoons unsalted regular butter and (still over high heat) add the shallots and saute 30 seconds. Add the wine and fish stock and boil hard until it is almost gone. Add the thyme and chopped tomatoes and boil briefly until slightly reduced. Season with salt and pepper, remove the skillet from the heat and whisk in the additional regular butter bit by bit, incorporating each piece almost completely before adding the next. Warm the sauce again if necessary, but do not let it boil.

3. Step 3

   Spoon a small amount of the sauce over the fish fillets in the oven, return the skillet to the heat, add the chopped pasta and toss with the rest of the sauce until heated through. Spoon the pasta onto the dinner plates and serve with a tossed salad.