Trout Almondine
Trout almondine is one of those classic French dishes that seems unattainable in a home kitchen setting. I don’t know where this thinking comes from because it’s actually quite a simple recipe. Brown the fish, take ‘em out, add the sauce stuff to the pan, and spoon the sauce over the fish. And what you end up with is something almost magical. Between the saltiness of the capers, the richness of the browned butter (it tastes like there’s more than just 2 tbsp. somehow), and the delicacy of the trout itself, this is my new go-to dish for trout or whenever I want to make an easy fish dish that impresses.
Traditionally, to complete the meal, you should serve with some blanched or blistered green beans—but feel free to do whatever sides you wish.
Tip
Make sure you use a large enough skillet for the trout fillets. Crowding the pan will inhibit proper browning and will make manoeuvering the fish extremely difficult.
4-5 entree servings
Ingredients
About 2 lb. of skin-on trout fillets
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Pepper
⅓ cup flour
⅓ cup sliced almonds
3 tbsp. capers, rinsed if very salty
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp.)
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
Directions
In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Meanwhile season trout fillets with salt and pepper on both sides. Add flour to a shallow bowl and lightly dredge trout fillets, shaking off excess flour.
When the butter has fully melted, add trout filets skin-side down. Turn up the heat to medium-high but turn back to medium when the butter has browned. Continue cooking until the skin is golden-brown, about 7-8 minutes. Flip the fillets and continue cooking until the filets reach an internal temperature of 145°F, or flake easily and are no longer translucent. Transfer the fillets skin-side down to a serving platter.
Add the almonds and capers to the pan. Cook, stirring occansionally, until the almonds are lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Off heat, stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley. Spoon this mixture over the trout fillets in an even layer. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
