Trout Almondine

I was so, so excited to find fresh trout at the fish counter the other day. I absolutely adore these little fish, but rarely seem to be able to find them for a reasonable price, if at all.

It was a no-brainer what to do with them, considering it had been so long. There is nothing like the pairing of trout, almonds, and lemon to make you feel like you're in heaven. This dish is super quick and simple to make, but is very gourmet.

Trout Almondine
Yield: 2 portions

3 whole trout, fileted OR 6 trout filets
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds
4 TBS butter
1 fresh lemon

Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge the trout filets and set aside. Toast the almonds in a large, dry skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Set aside. Add 2 TBS of butter to the already hot pan. When it begins to sizzle a bit and begins to brown slightly, add the fish filets. Do not overcrowd the pan. If necessary, you can cook the trout in batches. Trout cooks very quickly, you only need about 2 minutes on each side, depending on how hot your pan is. Remove trout before it gets cooked too well done or the filets will start to fall apart. Hold trout in a warm oven while making the sauce. Add remaining butter to the pan and melt, add two tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice and stir to deglaze the pan and pick up all the browned bits. Add the almonds and stir. Plate the fish filets and top with the sauce. If the sauce is too thick a little water can be added.