Whether you spell it trout amandine or almondine, this fried rainbow trout with almonds will surely become a favorite for an easy weeknight dinner.
Trout amandine can turn your midweek dinner into a fancy affair
What is trout amandine?
Trout amandine is a classic French dish of lightly pan-fried trout filets finished with a buttery almond garnish. Amandine means “prepared or served with almonds,” and the Anglicized spelling is almondine. Both are interchangeable and imply that the dish is finished with almonds in some way. And you needn’t limit yourself to trout, either. Though trout amandine is commonly seen in French restaurants, you can “amandine” just about anything, like chicken, green beans, or shrimp.
It’s one of my and my husband’s favorite dishes to order at French restaurants. The mild flavor of the trout, with subtle nutty undertones, pairs perfectly with the almonds.
How to make trout amandine
The beauty of this dish is how easy it is to make. My version is reminiscent of variations I’ve had at restaurants, so the almond garnish is not very saucy; it’s more of a crunchy topping to spoon on top of the fish. Some variations will add more butter and wine to serve with the fish. I’ve also had versions where the fish is crusted with almonds. My favorite is when the fish is pan-fried, lightly crispy, and finished with a buttery almond garnish.
What you need
You only need a few ingredients for this recipe.
- Trout: I use skin-on rainbow trout. This fish is in the same family that includes salmon, so you could make this with salmon, arctic char, or steelhead trout. If you want to break out of the Salmonidae family, try it with black cod or sea bass. Alternatively, you could make it with just about any fish you like, such as swordfish or haddock, but the cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your filet. I recommend a more mild-flavored fish for this dish.
- Sweet potato starch: This is my favorite starch for frying! I’ve used it with crispy fried shrimp before, and it’s fantastic!
- Almond sauce: The almond sauce is made with just a few ingredients, including butter, olive oil, shallots, parsley, lemon juice, sliced almonds, and sweet vermouth. If you don’t have sweet vermouth, you can replace it with white wine or chicken broth.
How to make it
- Step 1: Coat the fish. Season the filets with salt and pepper, dip them in sweet potato starch, and shake off the excess.
- Step 2: Fry the fish. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the fish, skin-side down, and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is crispy. Once the filets release easily from the skillet, flip them and cook for 1 to 3 minutes. The internal temperature should reach 145ºF. Transfer them to a platter and tent with foil. Wipe out the skillet.
- Step 3: Begin the almond sauce. Add olive oil and butter to the skillet. Add the minced shallot and cook until it softens. Add the sliced almonds and fry briefly to toast them.
- Step 4: Finish the sauce. Pour in the sweet vermouth and bring to a boil. Simmer rapidly for about 2 minutes until it reduces. Finish the sauce with parsley and lemon juice.
From there, you’re ready to serve it up! Simply spoon the almonds over the fried trout and serve with more lemon wedges. I like to add an extra pinch of freshly minced parsley on top.
What to serve with trout amandine
- Vegetables: Your favorite steamed or sautéed vegetable will work here. Green beans, broccoli, or even chopped cabbage would be delicious. You can also serve this with my favorite Balsamic Brussels Sprouts recipe.
- Potatoes: Potatoes are always a good choice! Try it with Sweet Potato Purée. A few other ideas would be Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes, Lemon-Saffron Potatoes, or Saffron Mashed Potatoes.
- Pasta: This would also work well with Pearl Couscous and Mushrooms.
- Rice: I served it with Butternut Squash Rice Pilaf, which I loved because I am very much in an almond era right now. My recipe tester, Mark, noted that–while delicious–they felt the dish became too almond-heavy since both the fish and the pilaf have almonds.
Community-tested and community-approved. Here’s what Tasters are saying about this recipe.
“I loved everything about this dish.
I’ve never worked with sweet potato starch or even known it existed. It really made a difference in the crispiness of the fish, especially the skin. This dish is easy to throw together any night of the week. The sauce wasn’t taxing at all—the lemons, parsley, and almonds were delicious. I could totally see myself making this for a dinner party to impress my friends.”
–Macie S., Independent Recipe Tester
“My wife and I both loved the meal, and we would have no issues making it again for friends.
Simply outstanding. The trout was moist and tasty with just a salt and pepper seasoning. The almonds in the sauce complemented the trout very well. I made the trout almondine and butternut squash rice pilaf today. Overall, I would give these recipes a 9.5 out of 10!”
–Mark B., Independent Recipe Tester
“Big fan of this recipe!
The sweet potato starch was new to me, but I loved working with it. It has the same consistency as corn starch but gives a better crisp when fried. I was able to make it in about 30 minutes, so it’s a great weeknight recipe as much as it is a great dish for a dinner party.
–Amanda R., Independent Recipe Tester
Tips from the community
- You may want to add more lemon juice or flavor, depending on your preference. One suggestion is to zest the lemon and add the zest to the sauce before serving.
- One Tester suggested that the almonds are more akin to a crumble than a sauce. This was noted previously in the post, but if you prefer more sauce, I recommend using 4 tablespoons of butter and ¾ cups of white wine. If using the increased quantity of liquid, I recommend using dry white wine instead of sweet vermouth, as the sweet vermouth would become overpowering.
- Another Tester suggested toasting the almonds before adding them to the sauce.
To join my recipe-testing program, sign up here.
Trout Amandine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 4- ounce rainbow trout filets (skin-on)
- ⅓ cup sweet potato starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Almond sauce:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small shallot (peeled and minced; about 2 ounces total)
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup sweet vermouth (or white wine)
- ½ cup parsley (loosely packed, minced; plus more for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
Instructions
Prepare the rainbow trout:
- Pat the trout dry and season with salt and pepper.
Dredge the fish:
- Place the sweet potato starch into a large bowl. Dip each filet into starch and shake off the excess. Transfer to a plate.
Fry the trout:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the filets skin-side down. Use a metal flipper to press the trout into the skillet as it cooks. Fry the fish skin-side down for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is very crisp and the fish releases easily.
- Flip and cook the fish for 1 to 3 minutes until the filet reaches 145ºF. Transfer to a serving platter. Tent the platter with foil and wipe out the skillet.
Make the sauce:
- Keep the skillet on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter. Once the butter melts, add the shallot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes–stirring often–until it softens.
- Add the sliced almonds and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the sweet vermouth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer rapidly for 2 minutes until it reduces. Add a pinch of salt.
- Add the parsley and lemon juice and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.
To serve:
- Spoon the almond sauce over the trout filets. Garnish with more minced parsley and serve with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy!
