ChezCindy: Brown Butter Trout with Almonds

Trout is an easy fish to work with if you are new to cooking fish.  The French name for this dish, is Trout Amandine Beurre Noir.  More simply referred to as Brown Butter Trout with Almonds.  

Preparing it in a skillet with a simple butter and lemon sauce lends towards its mild flavor.  When you buy the fillets from the fish market, they should be boneless with the skin on.  Once you sauté the fillet, the cooked skin is easily removed and discarded, leaving you with a beautiful golden, brown fillet.    Enjoy.    

Brown Butter Trout with Almonds
1/2 cup sliced almonds

4 trout fillets, 5-7 oz each
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons paprika
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
chopped flat-leaf parsley

In a shallow bowl or container, combine the flour and the paprika; stir to combine.  Season the trout fillets with salt and pepper.  Dredge the fillets in the flour to coat lightly.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons each of butter and olive oil.  When the butter begins to foam, the pan is ready to add the floured trout fillets.  Shake off any excess flour and place in the skillet skin-side up.  Sauté for 3 minutes on this side.  Using a long, narrow spatula, carefully turn the fillets and continue cooking skin-side down for 2 minutes.  Flip the fillets over so they are once again skin side up.  Using tongs, carefully pinch the skin from one end of the fillet and pull back.  The skin should remove freely, leaving a skinless fillet.  Using the spatula, remove each fillet from the pan, one at a time, placing skin-side down onto the serving plate.  Cover with foil to keep warm. 

 
Lower the heat on the sauté pan to medium, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combining with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.  When the butter begins to foam, add the almonds cooking for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add the lemon juice and a pinch of kosher salt.  Swirl the sauce in the pan to combine.  Spoon the sauce over each trout fillet; garnish with parsley and serve.