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This fish almondine is made with pan-seared white fish topped with buttery, golden almond slices for a delicious seafood dinner.
There are some types of food that seem to cry out for a little bit of crunchiness.
It’s usually a case of pairing up contrasting texture.
A softer ingredient with a little bit of give (like fish) meets the brittle crunch of almonds or pecans, and voilà!
Something special is created.
Nut-crusted fish is fabulous, as in the case of pecan-crusted bourbon salmon. But it does take a bit of effort.
So it’s okay to take a little shortcut on the path to nutty deliciousness.
Borrowing the concept from green bean almondine, we can get a fish entreé on the table in about 15 minutes!
This fish almondine is made with pan-seared fish and buttery, golden almond slices for a topping.
What Kind of Fish Should I Use?
The recipe works best with a firm white fish, such as halibut or lingcod. The fish in the photos is lingcod.
Our community supported fishery deliveries from Sitka Salmon Shares have included plenty of white fish options.
Lingcod was one of the less familiar ones, but we soon found several ways to use it. It’s dense and mild and fairly similar to halibut.
So either fish is a great option in this recipe.
Other favorite recipes with lingcod and halibut are baked lingcod with tomato caper sauce, panko crusted halibut, and Parmesan halibut!
A flakier or more delicate white fish (such as cod) will still taste delicious, but might be more difficult to flip in the pan.
Want to use salmon or trout? Check out specific recipes for salmon almondine or trout almondine.
What Kind of Almonds Should I Start With?
You’ll be toasting the almonds in this recipe, so start with raw (uncooked) almonds for the best results.
I like to use raw sliced almonds because it makes the process faster. But you could also slice the almonds yourself!
How to Make Fish Almondine
Start with thawed, room temperature fish.
Pat the fillets dry, and dust both sides with flour. Season with salt and pepper.
Make this recipe gluten-free by using an all-purpose gluten-free flour like Cup 4 Cup.
In a large, shallow pan, melt some butter.
I like to use this Lodge 12″ carbon steel skillet.
Add the almonds to the pan.
Cook the almonds for a couple of minutes, until they are toasted and golden.
Then scoop them out of the pan, and set aside. (Leave as much butter in the pan as possible.)
It’s time to pan-sear the fish. Add more butter, as well as some olive oil, to the pan.
Add the fish to the pan, and cook for about 4 minutes.
Slide a thin metal spatula under the fish to see if it’s ready to flip.
I use a Wusthof fish spatula, but I’ve also heard good reports of this Toadfish fish spatula.
If the fish releases from the pan, it’s ready to flip. If not, cook it for another 30 seconds or so.
After you’ve flipped the fish, cook it for another 3 or 4 minutes.
When the fillets are done, they’ll be golden on the surface and opaque all the way through.
Transfer the fish to plates, and either cover them or set in a low-heat oven.
Reduce the heat and add lemon juice to the pan. Stir, and allow it to reduce for a minute.
Add about half of the herbs to the pan, and turn off the heat.
Top the fish with the lemon sauce, the remaining herbs, and the almonds. Serve immediately!
To complete your menu, try side dishes like blue cheese mashed potatoes and sauteéd oyster mushrooms!
Fish Almondine
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces firm white fish (2 fillets) halibut + lingcod both work well
- 1 tablespoon flour Use gluten-free AP flour if needed
- pinch salt, pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- ¼ cup almond slices
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Handful fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil, cilantro etc)
Instructions
- Pat fish dry. Dust with flour on both sides and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large shallow pan, melt half the butter (1 tablespoon) over medium-low heat.When the butter is melted (but not browned) add the almonds and cook until the nuts are golden (2-3 minutes). Scoop the almonds out of the butter and set aside.Tip: The butter will foam as you cook, which could make it harder to see the almonds. Keep a close eye on the almonds as you cook to ensure that they don't burn.
- Increase heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil to the pan. Place the fillets in the pan and cook about 4 minutes. Don't touch the fillets until they're ready to flip.
- Use a thin metal spatula to test the fish. If you can slide the spatula under the fish without the fish sticking to the pan, it's ready to flip. If the fillets won't release- give them another 30 seconds. They'll release when they've finished cooking.Cook fish another 3-4 minutes until done. Fish will be golden on both the top and bottom and opaque all the way through when finished cooking.
- Transfer the fish to plates, leaving the excess butter in the pan. Cover fish to keep warm, or set fish in a 200ºF oven.Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the lemon juice to the pan, stir with a wooden spoon, and allow the juice to reduce for about a minute. Add half the herbs and turn off the heat. Serve fish hot with pan sauce, remaining herbs, and the toasted almonds.
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