It's been maybe 25 years since I last made this dish so I thought it was time to revisit this classic. Almondine (or Amandine), a sauce made with sliced almonds in a butter sauce with a squeeze of lemon, is typically served over pan-fried sole or trout, but also works well with tilapia, cod, or other mild white fish. I cut the richness of the butter with a little olive oil and white wine and the Asian side of me had to serve this with white rice instead of potatoes to soak up all that yummy sauce.
Ingredients:
6 filets of tilapia, sole, trout, cod, orange roughy or other mild white fish
1 1/2 cups flour
Salt & pepper
2 eggs, beaten
8 tbsp. regular salted butter (ok to use light butter), divided in half
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Garnish:
Lemon wedges
Chopped fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley
1. Pat the fish filets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Place the eggs in a shallow dish and beat lightly.
4. In a dry saute pan over medium heat, add the sliced almonds and toss with a spatula for about 30 seconds until very lightly toasted. Remove the almonds to a dish and set aside.
5. In the meantime, add 4 tbsp. of butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.
6. Coat the fish filets, one at a time, on all sides in the flour, shake to remove excess, dip in the beaten egg, then back into the flour; remove to plate and set aside. Do this with the remaining fish filets.
7. When the butter-olive oil mixture is hot, add the fish filets to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Do this in two or three batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
8. Once all the fish is cooked, strain the butter-olive oil into a small bowl to remove all the brown bits and wipe out the pan. Return the mixture back to the pan and add the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Bring to a boil, then add the toasted sliced almonds. Toss the almonds with a spatula and cook for about 1 minute or until they just start to brown.
9. Stir in the wine and lemon juice and simmer until the mixture has thickened; taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, as needed. Add the chopped parsley.
10. Plate the fish filets and top with the almondine sauce. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and lemon wedges on the side. Great served with steamed white rice (my preference) or potatoes on the side.
6 filets of tilapia, sole, trout, cod, orange roughy or other mild white fish
1 1/2 cups flour
Salt & pepper
2 eggs, beaten
8 tbsp. regular salted butter (ok to use light butter), divided in half
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Garnish:
Lemon wedges
Chopped fresh Italian/flat leaf parsley
1. Pat the fish filets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Place the flour in a shallow dish and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Place the eggs in a shallow dish and beat lightly.
4. In a dry saute pan over medium heat, add the sliced almonds and toss with a spatula for about 30 seconds until very lightly toasted. Remove the almonds to a dish and set aside.
5. In the meantime, add 4 tbsp. of butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.
6. Coat the fish filets, one at a time, on all sides in the flour, shake to remove excess, dip in the beaten egg, then back into the flour; remove to plate and set aside. Do this with the remaining fish filets.
7. When the butter-olive oil mixture is hot, add the fish filets to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes per side until browned. Do this in two or three batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.
8. Once all the fish is cooked, strain the butter-olive oil into a small bowl to remove all the brown bits and wipe out the pan. Return the mixture back to the pan and add the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Bring to a boil, then add the toasted sliced almonds. Toss the almonds with a spatula and cook for about 1 minute or until they just start to brown.
9. Stir in the wine and lemon juice and simmer until the mixture has thickened; taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, as needed. Add the chopped parsley.
10. Plate the fish filets and top with the almondine sauce. Garnish with additional fresh parsley and lemon wedges on the side. Great served with steamed white rice (my preference) or potatoes on the side.
These are tilapia filets - very mild like sole, but firmer and easier to handle.
Toast the sliced almonds in a dry pan, remove and set aside.
Seasoned flour and beaten eggs in separate dishes.
Coat the seasoned fish in the flour, then in the beaten egg, then back in the flour,
shaking off any excess flour.
Cook the filets in the butter-olive oil mixture in batches, 2-3 minutes per side,
until lightly browned and cooked through.
After all the fish filets have been cooked, strain the butter sauce to remove all the browned bits and return to the pan. Add the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter and bring to a boil until the butter has melted.
Add the toasted almonds and cook for about 1 minute or until they just start to brown. Stir in the white wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened, add the chopped parsley.
Plate the fish and top with the almondine sauce.
Garnish with extra parsley and lemon wedges on the side.
Hooray for fish posts today!! Love trout and can’t wait to try this recipe!
ReplyDeleteTry Walleye. It is the fresh water sole.
ReplyDelete