Trout Almondine Recipe

Prepare and season trout

Pat trout fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If using flour, lightly dust the flesh side with flour and shake off excess; this helps develop a light crust and protect the skin.

Cook trout

Heat a large nonstick or stainless-steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons neutral oil and swirl to coat. Place trout fillets skin-side down in the pan, spacing them so they don’t crowd (work in two batches if necessary). Press gently with a spatula for 10–15 seconds to ensure even contact. Cook skin-side down for 3–4 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh looks cooked about two-thirds of the way up. Flip carefully and cook flesh-side for 30–60 seconds more (depending on thickness) until just opaque but still moist. Transfer to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil while you finish the sauce and beans.

Toast almonds

In a small dry skillet over medium heat, add the blanched almonds. Toast, stirring or shaking pan frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to stop cooking and roughly chop or leave whole depending on desired texture.

Make brown butter

In the skillet used for the trout (wipe out any burnt bits and reduce heat to medium-low), add the 6 tablespoons unsalted butter. Melt and cook, swirling or stirring frequently, until the butter foams and then turns a deep golden-brown with a nutty aroma, about 3–5 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning. Remove from heat as soon as it reaches the desired color.

Finish almondine

Stir the toasted almonds into the brown butter. Add the finely chopped preserved lemon rind, capers, fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning—preserved lemon is salty and tangy, so add salt sparingly. Keep warm off the heat.

Blanch beans

Bring 4 cups water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan with 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Add the trimmed French green beans and blanch until bright green and tender-crisp, about 2–3 minutes, depending on thickness.

Have an ice bath ready (2 cups ice and cold water). Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer the blanched beans immediately to the ice bath to stop cooking. Once cooled (about 1–2 minutes), drain thoroughly and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.

Finish beans

In the skillet used for brown butter (warm but off direct heat), toss the drained beans with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spoon half of the brown-butter almondine mixture over the beans and toss gently to coat and warm them through. Keep the remaining almondine for plating over the trout.

Plate and serve

Divide the warm green beans among 4 plates. Place a trout fillet on top or beside the beans, skin-side up. Spoon the remaining brown-butter almondine with preserved lemon and almonds over the trout, allowing the brown butter to drizzle onto the beans. Garnish with additional chopped parsley if desired and serve with lemon wedges on the side. Serve immediately.