Trout Almandine

Trout almandine is one of the great French bistro dishes, and it’s shockingly simple. Trout fillets dipped in milk, dusted with seasoned flour, and pan-fried in butter until golden on both sides. The almonds toast in the same butter after the fish comes out, soaking up all those browned butter and fish flavors.

The milk dip before flouring helps the coating stick and creates a thin, delicate crust that crisps in the butter without turning heavy or batter-like. It’s a lighter approach than egg wash and produces a more elegant result.

Two sticks of butter is generous, but that’s the point. The butter does triple duty: it fries the fish, toasts the almonds, and becomes the sauce. Those browned butter drippings spooned over the plated fish with the toasted almonds are what make this dish.

Pro Tips

• Shake off excess flour before the fillets hit the pan. Too much flour soaks up butter and turns the coating pasty.
• Don’t move the fillets until the first side is golden. Trout is delicate, and flipping too early tears the crust.
• Toast the almonds slowly over medium heat after removing the fish. They go from golden to burnt fast in hot butter.
• A squeeze of lemon over the finished plate brightens everything and is the traditional finishing touch.

Variations

• Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the butter after toasting the almonds for a classic meunière-almandine hybrid.
• Use sole or tilapia fillets instead of trout.
• Swap almonds for sliced hazelnuts or pine nuts for a different nutty accent.