Pan-Fried Trout with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds
In short: Skin-on trout fillets pan-fried until crisp, then spooned with nutty brown butter, toasted almonds and lemon. A 20-minute dinner for two. It takes about 17 min in total and makes 2 servings.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 17 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Trout cooks quickly, has a delicate flavor and is usually affordable, which makes it a good weeknight fish. Skin-on fillets crisp up in a hot pan in about 4 minutes. The sauce is brown butter with toasted sliced almonds and lemon: simple, nutty and rich. Serve it with boiled potatoes and green beans, or a crisp salad. Farmed rainbow trout is mild, while wild trout tastes stronger.
Instructions
- Pat the trout dry and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 28 cm (11 inch) skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Lay the fillets in skin side down and press gently for 10 seconds. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh has turned opaque about two thirds of the way up.
- Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, until the fish flakes and reads 63°C (145°F). Move to warm plates, skin side up.
- Wipe out the pan, lower the heat to medium and add the butter. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, swirling, until it foams, turns golden brown and smells nutty.
- Add the almonds and cook for 30 to 45 seconds, until lightly toasted. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. It will sputter.
- Spoon the brown butter and almonds over the trout and serve at once with lemon wedges.
Tips
- Watch the butter closely. It goes from brown to burnt in seconds, so take it off the heat as soon as it smells nutty.
- Hazelnuts, pine nuts or toasted flaked pecans can replace the almonds.
Questions and answers
Can I eat trout skin?
Yes. Crisp trout skin is edible and tasty. Make sure the fillets are scaled and the skin is dry before it hits the pan.
How do I remove pin bones from trout fillets?
Run a finger down the center of the fillet to find the bones, then pull each one out with clean tweezers or needle-nose pliers.
Can I use salmon instead of trout?
Yes, salmon fillets work with the same sauce. Add 2 to 3 minutes to the cooking time for thicker pieces.
How long does it take to make Pan-Fried Trout with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds?
About 17 min in total: 5 min of preparation and 12 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Pan-Fried Trout with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds?
About 480 kcal per serving, with 36 g of protein, 3 g of carbohydrates and 36 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 480 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Fat | 36 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 650 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
