PREP: Mise the recipe ahead of time.

1. Make the escabeche dressing:

• Mince the pickled jalapeño and place it in a bowl.
• Add the sugar, coriander, cumin, and some salt.
• Vigorously shake the vinaigrette to re-emulsify it, and then measure it into the bowl.
• Squeeze in the lime, and then whip the dressing together with a fork.
• Evaluate the flavor and correct if necessary.  For a spicier dressing, stir in a little pickling liquid from the jalapeños. 
• If prepping ahead, place in a container.

2. Make the Rusa potato salad:

• If using fresh in-pod peas, shell them.  If using frozen peas, place them on a doubled paper towel and thaw them.
• Peel the carrot and cut into rough dice about ¼-inch in size.
• Bring about a quart water to the boil in a saucepan.  Line a sheet tray or plate with a paper towel.
• If using raw peas, blanch them about one minute until tender and then transfer them to the cold water.  Frozen peas need no cooking.
• Blanch the carrot for about 1 minute until tender, drain off the water, and refresh the carrot under a stream of cold water for 1 or 2 minutes.  Drain and blot dry on the paper towel. 
• Peel the potato, cut it into rough ¼-inch dice, and place it in the saucepan.  Add water to cover and add some salt.  Simmer about 2 minutes until just tender.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to the towel-lined tray and cool them to room temperature.  Don’t refresh.
• Trim off the root end of the scallion and cut it into fine diagonal slices.
• To make the dressing, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, sugar, and some salt in a bowl.  Evaluate the seasoning and adjust to your taste.
• Fold the potatoes, carrots, peas, and scallions into the dressing. 
• Push a few of the potato dice to one side of the bowl and mash them with a fork.  Fold the mashed potato back into the salad.
• If prepping ahead, store the Rusa salad in a container. 

3. Fabricate the radishes:

• Trim away the root and stem ends of the radishes and cut them lengthwise into rough julienne.
• If prepping ahead of time, place the radishes in a plastic bag with a folded paper towel in the bottom.

4. Assemble the remaining ingredients.

HOLD: Refrigerate all ingredients up to 4 days; refrigerate the flounder up to 2 days.

COOK! Finish and plate your dinner.

5. Bring the Rusa potato salad and escabeche dressing to room temperature.

6. Set up a breading and frying station:

• Line up three plates on a work surface.  Place the flour in the first plate and the breadcrumbs in the third plate.  Crack an egg into the second plate, add the step 7 water, and use a fork to beat the mixture until homogenous.
• Line a sheet tray with aluminum foil and place a paper towel on the foil.  Position a cooling rack on the tray.
• Place a heavy sauté pan or skillet over low heat and add canola oil to a depth of about ½ inch, depending on the thickness of the flounder fillets.

7. Season and coat the flounder:

• Rinse the flounder fillets under cold water and blot dry on paper towels.  Depending on the size of the fillets, you may need to cut some in half to create even-size portions.  Flounder fillets typically don’t have pin bones, but run your fingers over the fillets to ensure there are none.
• Generously sprinkle adobo seasoning on both sides of the flounder. 
• Dredge one of the fillets in flour on both sides and shake off excess.  Dip the fillet into the egg on both sides, and then dredge both sides with the breadcrumbs, pressing to help them adhere.
• Place the breaded fillet on the rack and repeat with the remaining fillets.
• Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

8. Dress the radishes:

• Place the radishes in a bowl. 
• Vigorously whip or shake the escabeche dressing to emulsify the oil and vinegar.
• Spoon just enough of the dressing over the radishes to lightly coat them.  Toss to combine.
• Refrigerate until ready to plate.

9. Fabricate the avocado:

• Place a sheet of wax paper or parchment on a sheet tray.  Have the lime wedge ready.
• Halve the avocado lengthwise and remove the pit.  Squeeze some lime juice onto the cut surfaces.  Place one of the avocado halves flesh-side-down on the wax paper-lined sheet tray.
• Use a paring knife to score the avocado skin, making 2 lengthwise cuts from the pointed stem end to the rounded end. Cut only through the skin; avoid cutting into the flesh.
• Grasp a section of skin at the stem end and pull it off.  Repeat until the avocado half is completely skinned.  Squeeze lime juice on the surface.
• Use the paring knife to cut the avocado half into a fan: Starting about ¾ inch from the stem ends, make 4 to 5 lengthwise cuts down to the wax paper about ½-inch apart.
• Press gently on the top of the avocado half to fan it out.
• Repeat with the remaining avocado half.
• Season the avocado halves with salt.
• Place the tray in the refrigerator until ready to plate.

10. Pan-fry the flounder:

• Turn the heat under the oil-filled sauté pan to high.  Carefully monitor the temperature of the oil until it reaches 375°F.  You’ll have to tilt the sauté pan and pool the oil on one side to get an accurate reading.  (Alternatively, drop in a small morsel of breading; it should take about 20 seconds to turn golden brown.)
• Gently lower the flounder fillets into the oil with the more convex, presentation side down.  If the fillets are large and relatively thick, lower the heat to medium.  Fry for about 1 minute until the bottoms are golden brown.
• Use a fish spatula and tongs to carefully turn over the fillets.  Fry about 45 seconds longer, depending on thickness, until the new bottoms are browned.
• Transfer the fillets back to the rack to drain. Season with salt.

11. Plate:

• Place a sauté pan over high heat.
• Mound a portion of the Rusa salad on the back left of each room-temperature dinner plate.  (An entremet ring, or food ring, helps create an attractive presentation.)
• Spoon a portion of salsa verde into each dip dish and place the dishes on the back right of each plate.
• Use a spatula to lift each avocado fan onto the front right side of each plate.  Press gently to widen the fan.  Arrange a tall mound of radish salad on the pointed end of each avocado half.
• Toast the tortillas: Place a tortilla in the hot sauté pan and heat it for about 10 seconds.  Turn it over and heat for about 5 seconds.  Use a dry, folded kitchen towel to press gently on the top of the tortilla to encourage it to puff.  Remove the tortilla and fold it into quarters.  Repeat with the remaining tortilla.
• Place the flounder fillet(s) on the left center of the plate propped against the Rusa salad.
• Arrange the folded tortilla between the Rusa salad and the dip dish.
• Pull off pluches, or pieces of leaf, from the cilantro sprigs and scatter over the salad and flounder.