Pan-Seared Trout with Brown Butter Almonds
Crisp-skinned trout fillets finished with a nutty brown butter sauce of toasted almonds, lemon and parsley. A quick, elegant dinner on the table in 20 minutes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Serves
- 4
A dry fillet and a hot pan are what give trout crackling skin, so resist the urge to move it while it cooks. Pull the butter off the heat as soon as it smells toasty, since it goes from brown to burnt quickly. This is lovely with boiled new potatoes or steamed green beans.
Method
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Pat the fillets very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper.
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Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
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Lay the fillets in the pan skin side down and press gently on each for so the skin stays flat. Cook for , until the skin is crisp and the flesh is opaque two thirds of the way up.
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Flip the fillets and cook for more. Move them to a warm platter and wipe out the pan.
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Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter. When it foams, add the almonds and cook, swirling often, for , until the butter smells nutty and turns golden brown.
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Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, parsley and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. The butter will sputter, so stand back.
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Spoon the brown butter and almonds over the trout and serve with the lemon wedges.
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