Trout almondine is a traditional and rustic French dish. What makes this dishstand out? The simple Meunière-style pan sauce. Meunière sauce is a rustic, French pan sauce made from brown butter (beurre noisette), lemon juice, and fresh parsley. Almondine or amandine, a popular variation of meunière sauce, is made with the addition of sliced almonds and briny capers. While there are many derivatives of the classic brown butter pan sauce, amandine is a personal and long-time favorite. It is simple, delicious, and comes together very quickly. Perfect for busy weeknights or special occasions alike!
Ingredients
2trout fillets, skin-onroughly 6-8 ounces each (*see notes)
Tips for Success: This dish comes together very quickly, so it is important to have all of your ingredients measured and prepped before you start cooking the fish and preparing the pan sauce.Warm a large plate or set aside a quarter sheet pan lined with a wire rack. You will use this to keep the pan-seared fish warm while you prepare the pan sauce.
Prepare the Trout: Let the fish come to room temperature for at least 15 minutes, then pat dry on both sides with paper towels. Season the fillets with salt on both sides, then lightly dredge in all-purpose flour.
Pan Sear: Heat a thin layer of clarified butter or avocado oil (any high-heat neutral cooking oil will work!) in a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Once the cooking fat is shimmering, add the fillets to the pan skin-side down. Avoid over-crowding the pan, cooking the fillets in batches if needed. Immediately press the flesh of the fish down with a spatula, this prevents the skin from buckling and ensures the skin will lie flat and crisp evenly. Cook the trout skin-side down for for 2 to 4 minutes, total cook time will depending on the thickness of your fillets. The edges of the fillets should be golden brown and crisp - once the fillets are 80%-90% cooked through, flip and sear briefly on the other side. Transfer the trout fillets, skin-side up, onto the warmed plate or lined sheet pan. Keep warm while you prepare the pan sauce.
Make the Pan Sauce: Using paper towels, carefully wipe the skillet clean of any remaining cooking fat - be careful as it will be very hot - and return to medium heat. Add the butter and cook, stirring frequently, until is foaming and just starting to toast and gain color. Add the sliced almonds to the butter, stirring constantly, until the butter is very nutty, fragrant, and golden brown and the almonds are lightly toasted.
Add the drained capers, chopped parsley, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the pan and immediately remove from the heat. Stir and season with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and additional lemon juice (if needed) to taste.
Serve: Spoon the pan sauce directly on top of the pan seared trout and serve immediately.
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Ingredient Notes:
If you can't find trout, you can prepare this dish with other flat delicate fish, such as flounder or sole.
This dish makes two generous servings. If you scale up, I recommend keeping the fish warm in a preheated oven (170F-200F) while you are preparing the sauce - as you will most likely need to pan-sear in batches.