Orange Lake Amandine

Fish amandine is a French-inspired classic: pan-fried fillets topped with butter-toasted almonds and a squeeze of lemon. This version uses bass or trout fillets seasoned with thyme, dipped in milk, dredged in flour, and fried golden.

The milk dip before the flour dredge is what gives the crust its grip. Dry fish rolled in flour sheds its coating in the pan, but a quick pass through milk creates a layer that the flour sticks to, building a thin, crisp shell that stays put.

Toasting the slivered almonds separately in butter is a must. They go from pale to golden to burned in a narrow window, so doing them on their own lets you control the color. Scattered over the hot fillets at the end, they bring a nutty crunch that’s the whole point of amandine.

Kitchen Tips

• Get the oil properly hot before the fillets go in. If it’s not hot enough, the flour coating absorbs oil instead of crisping and the fish turns greasy.
• Don’t crowd the pan. Fry the fillets in batches so each one has room to brown evenly.
• Drain the fried fillets on paper towels briefly to pull off excess oil before plating.
• A good squeeze of fresh lemon juice right before serving brightens the whole dish and cuts through the richness of the butter and almonds.

Variations

• Use sole or tilapia if bass or trout aren’t available. Any mild, flaky white fish works.
• Brown the butter for the almonds until it smells nutty for a deeper, beurre noisette-style topping.
• Add capers to the toasted almonds for a briny, tangy contrast.