Fish With Toasted Almonds
Updated May 4, 2016
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
½ cup sliced almonds
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
4 6-ounce cod fillets (or any other meaty white fish), with skin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
6 grams carbs; 96 milligrams cholesterol; 316 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 18 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 538 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Place a large dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add almonds. Stir constantly until they are tinged with color. Take from heat, and transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Step 2
Season both sides of the fish well with salt and pepper. Place the same pan over medium heat, and add butter and olive oil. When both begin to bubble, add cod fillets skin side up. Brown fish until opaque all the way through, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Transfer fish to a warm serving plate, skin side down.
- Step 3
Reduce heat under pan to low, and add lemon juice. Stir to blend with butter and oil, then pour this sauce over fillets. Scatter parsley over cod, and scatter with toasted almonds. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
If you begin the sauté with skin side down, the flesh will expand into a curved surface, so that when it is flipped it will not brown evenly. You want the flesh side to look best for serving, and it will brown evenly if it is the first side cooked.
I make this all the time - trout, or other fish, "almondine". I think you'll get a nicer texture though, by dredging the fillets in flour after seasoning them, and then sauteeing them.
Also, you'll get better flavor by browning the sliced almonds in a couple T.s butter; it becomes brown butter by the time the almonds are browned, about 7-8 minutes. More butter is never a bad thing when it comes to fish!!
Here in Washington state cod is always sold skinned, since it is not edible. I think Nigella may mean to place the skinned side, which is least attractive, up to brown the serving side and then serving it skinned side down.
I made this last night, with a few technical modifications and my guests loved it! I had toasted almonds already and just sauteed them in the butter and oil for flavor. Then, because it was so hot yesterday, I finished it in the oven: put the (skinless) cod in a small baking dish (snugly, to minimize the amount of fat required), poured the hot butter/oil and lemon juice over the pieces, cooked for about 15 minutes at 350 deg F, then added the almonds and parsley when it was done. Perfect!
I made this using Chilean Sea Bass. The fish was thick, so cooked a bit longer on each side. I took the suggestion of browning the almonds in butter, and although they were delicious, I think it made the dish too rich given the choice of fish. It may work better with something like cod. I may try again with different filets.
Good, easy, quick. Less complicated Almondine. Made with pacific cod and cashews.