The first time we made this was in January 2007 — I remember that not only because, um, it’s written in my dinner diary, but because it was one of the keepers that came out of the original “30 Days, 30 Dinners” experiment (the prequel to Seven Days, Seven Meals that I hope you guys are still reaping rewards from). I want to say it was around Day 28 or 29 when Andy reached up into our cookbook library and pulled down our French Laundry Cookbook to look for ideas.
“Yeah right,” I said. The last time I had thought about The French Laundry was when I had been lucky enough to dine at the Napa legend about a decade earlier. Reservations were impossible to get, they only booked you 30 days in advance, and tables were usually all scooped up within 15 minutes of the reservation line opening. This was before OpenTable — it might have even been before me owning a cell phone — because I remember circling the day on my calendar that was exactly 30 days before the one night during a trip to SF that we’d have free, then camping out in my apartment on Monroe Place in Brooklyn and speed-dialing for an hour until I got through. Thirty days later we sat down to a parade of dishes served with bacon emulsions and pea coulis and quotation marks.
Things were getting blurry. Was that even my life? What on earth could we make from that cookbook that had any relevance to our real life?
But wearing his parent goggles, Andy found one that worked. What he found was basically a cleaner, healthier Trout Amandine and it worked for us because it was a) fast b) took advantage of my daughter’s newly discovered, Nemo-induced fish obsession and c) fast.
Trout with Almonds and Green Beans
Adapted from The French Laundry Cookbook, by Thomas Keller
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 trout filets (about 1 pound for four)
1/2 cup slivered raw almonds
2 large handfuls trimmed green beans (enough to fill four people)
red pepper flakes, a few shakes
juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
chives, optional
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook fish skin-side down, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift it out and place on a platter (you might have to do this in batches if your skillet is not large enough.) The fish will not be cooked all the way through, it will still be pink in the middle. To the pan, add the green beans with some red pepper flakes and cook them over medium heat for about 5 minutes. With tongs, lift them out and place on top of the fish on the platter. (By doing that you are adding heat to the fish.) Add one more glug of oil to the pan, throw in the almonds and stir until just toasty, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape them over the fish.
Add lemon juice, butter, wine and stir about 30 seconds until reduced and slightly syrupy. Pour on top of fish, beans, and almonds.
Garnish with chives.
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet?
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet?
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet? (I hope so–I really want to make the pan-fried Hawaiian pizza!)
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet? Thanks.
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet? Pretty please?
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the cast iron skillet? I would love to…..please.
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet?”
This looks so good … we love French Laundry and yes, what a fine pre-kid life we led. Not that we would go back. Question – do you guys buy farmed trout? That is all I can get at our grocery store right now and I avoid it. But would be curious to hear your thoughts …
I am a newsletter subscriber and am getting married in May. Would love to get a skillet for our new home. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet? PLEAAASE! ♥
I am a newsletter subscriber. Do I win the Lodge cast iron skillet?”
Yay! My brother loves to fish and, consequently, he likes to give people the trout he catches. I always shy away from his offerings because I don’t really know how to cook trout (I just stick to salmon, and, even then, I still feel intimidated about cooking fish). I’m feeling much braver now and when he starts catching fish again this spring, I will gladly take a trout or two! Thank so much!
Newsletter subscriber…would love to finally try cooking on an iron skillet.
Hi Jenny…I couldn’t find any trout on my grocery run, so I used tilapia. We don’t eat nearly enough fish so I thought I’d give this a whirl…and I needed fast and not too too labor intensive). I didn’t have high expectations because my fish cooking skills are lamentable at best, but it was SUPER DELICIOUS!!! Even my husband said it was “good” (high praise when the most I get from him is the usual ‘it was OK’…”). Thanks for another winner…I seriously need to stop being surprised when your recipes turn out so well! (Bonus!: The house didn’t smell fish-y!!!)
On another note, ages ago I emailed you about some kitchen art for that annoyingly blank wall in my kitchen/dining area. You were deep in book prep and said to check back after it calmed down. Although I highly doubt your life has calmed down much (whose has?!?), I was wondering if you had given any thought to offering your tagline/blog illustration as a poster of some sort. My wall space is still empty and I just cannot fill it with something for the sake of filling it…it is still begging for that ‘Dinner…A Love Story’ artwork. So…please, please, please can you put it on your ‘to do’ list? I will be the first in line to grab one (or 5!) when they go on sale!!!
Hannah (comment 58) – The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch actually lists farmed rainbow trout as Best Choice.
Trout Listing: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_search.aspx?s=trout
Other seafood: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
They also have pocket guides for the various regions of the U.S. These are handy to carry in your wallet for a quick consultation when making a last minute trip to the fish counter.