Trout Amandine

A great meal doesn't have to be complex to be delicious, however it sure is a bonus when your guests think you had to work hard to make it!  Trout Amandine is a New Orleans classic that is sure to impress anyone at the table.  This is a go-to recipe for around Thanksgiving and Christmas especially!  I like it with a bed of wild rice and a green vegetable such as asparagus. 

Steps:

• To begin take your fresh or thawed skinless speckled trout fillets and make sure they are cleaned and ready to be prepared.  Sprinkle them with a little bit salt and sugar and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the kitchen.  After getting your skillet and ingredients out you can rinse the trout with cold water and pat dry.
• In a bowl combine your flower and Cajun seasoning to taste and dredge your fillets through the flour and shake off the excess. This should leave you with a light coat of flour on the fillets.
• Heat a few table spoons of vegetable oil in a skillet until you can sprinkle some extra flour in it and the oil begins to "fry."
• Place a few fillets in the oil and cook for a couple minutes on each side until the outside is a nice golden brown and the meat becomes white and flakey.  Pull fillets out and place aside,  carefully wipe out the skillet and repeat until all the fillets are cooked. (PRO TIP: Turn your oven to its lowest setting and place the cooked fillets inside the oven on a cooking sheet to keep them warm while you finish cooking)
• Once all you fillets are done carefully wipe out your skillet again and place your unsalted butter in the skillet over medium heat.  The amount of butter you use is dependent on how many fillets you are cooking but keep in mind this will be what you pour over your fish once they are plated. 
• Once the butter is melted add your sliced almonds (again the amount depends on how much butter you use but use about 1/4 cup of sliced almonds per stick of butter.)
• Cook until the butter turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma (5-10 minutes.)  It is now that you will add your parsley and thyme (fresh or dried) to taste and squeeze some lemon juice into the mix.  Remove from heat and serve hot over your fish.