Trout Amandine

By norsegal8

In traditional French cooking, a whole fish would be lightly dredged in flour and cooked in butter. In New Orleans we prefer the skinless trout filet. Properly browning the butter makes all the difference. Don't rush it; take your time swirling the butter in the pan so that the milk solids brown and give off the signature, nutty aroma that is heightened once you add the almonds. Add the lemon juice and serve while the sauce is still foamy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon Basic Creole Spices
• Six 5-7-ounce skinless speckled trout fillets
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preparation

Step 1

1. Put the milk into a wide dish. Put the flour and Creole Spices into another wide dish and stir to combine. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, dip them into the milk, and dredge in the seasoned flour.


2. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fillets and cook on each side until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a serving platter.


3. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the skillet over the heat so that the butter melts evenly and cook until the butter turns brownish, 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the almonds, and cook, stirring gently, until the nuts are toasty brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice, parsley, and a dash of salt.


4. Spoon the browned butter and almonds over the fish and serve.