Flounder (Dried Kambala)

Air-Dried Flounder (Kambala): Pull It Apart and Share It

Dried flounder is a snack you take apart with your hands. The flesh separates into flat, translucent strips along the grain — salty, faintly sweet, with the clean taste of a lean white fish rather than an oily one. Milder than dried squid, less salty than most dried fish, and the one that disappears fastest when there is beer on the table.

How We Make It

• Wild-caught flounder. From the cold Atlantic waters off Massachusetts, where the fish is leaner and firmer.
• Lightly salted. Salt alone, measured. On a fish this delicate, a heavy cure buries what makes it worth eating.
• Air-dried slowly. Time and moving air, the way it has always been done. Fast drying gives you a stiff board; slow drying gives you strips that pull cleanly.
• Nothing else. No additives, no preservatives. Flounder and salt.

How to Eat It

• Tear along the grain. Pull strips off with your fingers rather than biting into the whole piece. It is easier to eat and it is how the fish is meant to come apart.
• With cold beer. The pairing this exists for. Lean, salty fish and a cold lager need very little help.
• Warmed briefly. A few seconds in a dry pan or over a low flame makes the aroma bloom and softens the strips.
• In soup. Rehydrate in warm water and add to a fish soup or broth for depth — a use most people never think of.
• On a board. Alongside dried squid and something plain to reset between bites.

Keeping It

Dried fish is forgiving. Sealed and refrigerated at 32–39°F it keeps one to three months. Once opened, press the air out and reseal — it will not spoil quickly, but it keeps drying and gets stiffer over time. Cool and dark is what matters most.

Fuller guidance is in our storage guide.

Common Questions

Is it very salty? Less than most dried fish. The cure is light on purpose, which is why the flavour of the fish comes through rather than just salt.

Are there bones? Yes — this is dried whole fish, not a fillet. The bones and skin come away easily when you tear the strips off, which is part of how it is eaten.

How strong does it smell? Noticeable when the pack is open, mild for dried fish. Keep it sealed and it will not affect the rest of the fridge.

Is it cooked? Not with heat — it is cured and dried, which is a preservation method in its own right. Ready to eat straight from the pack.

Never had dried fish before? Start here rather than with squid. Flounder is milder, softer, and easier to pull apart.