Living on the coast has its advantages... beach trips every Saturday morning, happy hours spent on the neighborhood dock, and of course, the fresh local seafood.
Charleston has an abundance of great seafood restaurants, but often, we keep it simple and cook in most nights, inviting friends over and sharing stories into the night over the dining room table.
One of our go-to meals is fresh fish (caught the same day if possible), served with roasted potatoes and green salad. And we think everyone should be able to whip up a local catch dinner, whether you’re trying to impress that special someone or cooking for a group of friends.
Scored & Broiled Fish:
-
1 Whole Flounder (or similar fish)
-
1 Lemon (juice and zest)
-
1/4 Cup Butter (can't beat Kerrygold Irish Butter)
-
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
-
Old Bay Seasoning
Directions:
Heat broiler on high and prepare a baking dish or sheet pan coated with oil on the bottom.
Score fish by making diagonal, 45 degree shallow cuts in the flesh of the fish (if using flounder, score the dark side). We prefer more scoring (to hold more flavor), so we use a criss-cross scoring pattern, but one direction of scoring is totally fine.
Cover the fish with Old Bay seasoning and then slider it under the broiler for 3 minutes. While the fish is broiling, melt butter and combine with lemon (juice and zest) and garlic.
Remove the fish and then paint on the butter mixture liberally, then return the fish to the oven for another 2-3 minutes of cooking (depending on the size).
Pro Tip (i.e. lazy tip) Save the dishes and serve straight out of the baking dish, family-style!
Herb-Roasted Potatoes:
-
1 Pound of Baby Red Potatoes; diced in 1" squares
-
1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
-
Handful of Fresh Herbs: Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano (whatever's available); finely chopped
-
2-3 Garlic Cloves, minced
-
Salt and Pepper to tase
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking dish with non-stick foil (or grease with olive oil).
Whisk together the olive oil, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, in a large bowl.
Then add the diced potatoes and coat everything with the oil mixture.
Spread potatoes evenly on baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes. Potatoes should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. (For more crispness, broil on high for 2-3 minutes to finish).
Serve with a green salad (we typically throw together whatever veggies we have on-hand), an icy cold IPA, and enjoy!
For more Free Fly news and images from our community, follow us on Instagram at Free Fly Apparel.
2 Comments
Hi Jason, thank you for the kind words and we hope you have a nice upcoming visit to Charleston! It’s beautiful in late-September. For fishing guides, you should contact our buddy Captain Johnny Crislip with Tighten Up Fishing. Also, we don’t have a flagship brand store, but many retailers in the Charleston area carry a great selection of our product. We have a Dealer Locator on our website that you can use to find a dealer like Half-Moon Outfitters in the Charleston area. Let us know if you have any more questions!
Great idea on the blog and thanks for the recipe – sounds delicious! My wife and I are spending a long weekend in Charleston end of September. We want to get out and do some fishing after we stop by the Free Fly store (of course). Any advice on local fishing guides for backwater?