A Fancy Take On Fish

 One of the most glorious dishes anyone could eat is trout almondine. It's a delicate melange of fish , slivered almionds and butter.Once the dish to have atr fancy restaurants it can easily be replicated at home.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about this amazingly retro fancy dish in her A Good Appetite column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.She puts her spin on this offshoot of sole meuniere. This was another fancy dish, that made Julia Child fall in lovewith French cuisine.It's just a simple lemon butter sauce but it quikly covered such veggies as cucumbers , radishes and beets to even grapes. It's no wonder that the great gastronome book, La Rousse Gastronomique considered these gauche 'declaring that this kind of ornament is quite useless and not at all keeping with the recipe. Yet the fish version can be varied. Ms. Clark roasts the fish instead of sauteing them. This lets you skip the dusting the filets in flour . roasting also is more forgiving. As for the fish, you could use trout for the tradtional route. Try cod or tilapia if you're into them. Flounder and halibut are also good choices along with snapper catifish haddock and grouper.she also adds zest .It makes the flavor brighter and amps up the citrus flavor.

It starts with pan roasting the filets  after seasoning them with just salt and pepper. Cut a tablespoon of butter into small pieces and place on top of each fish>Roast for eleven minutes in a 450 degree Farenheit oven. Keep in mind that thin filets cook faster than thicker ones. while the fish roasts , melt six tablespoons fo butter over a medium heat.Cook, swirling th e pan until the foam subsides and the butter turns nut brown. Add the almonds and turn off the heat. The nuts will brown right away.Toss them in the butter until they turn golden brown about two minutes. Turn the heat back on low. It's time to squeeze in the lemon juice and add the finely grated zest. Add a tabelspoon of minced chives , saving some for plating later. Pour the sauce over the filets and serve. You can add more chives along with t he lemon and the zest if you want a tarter flavor. What to serve with a dish this simply ruch? Ms. Clark recommends roasted or boiled potatoes  next to a mound of steamed broccoli or green beans. Their simplicity  will work well with the nutty sauce.

This is the dish to try. It's rich  and fancy but without any fuss. It's a great way to enjoy any white fish , especially during Lent.