I bought a lot of cookbooks over the years, with very good ernest intentions to actually utilise them. I think the main problem I have when I do that is that when I read the recipe, I sort of understood how it’s meant to taste… and then proceeded to change everything about that recipe. LOL!
Truites Aux Amandes (from I Know How to Cook, by Ginette Mathiot) with rice and pasta bake (basically stuff left over in the fridge mix with a new dish for the night).
One of my New Year’s resolution this year was to cook 5 nights a week at least. This was partially stemming from the fact that I really hope to pick up and utilise at least 30 recipes over the course of the year. This is not to say that my cooking didn’t involve recipes – they were recipes that I picked off the internet rather than my books LOL!. So this year, this resolution is more focus on the cookbooks i currently own rather than recipes off the internet.
This being Lent leading up to Easter, I was hoping to pick up different ways of cooking fish. So far, I normally eat fish steamed, baked or, if I am buying it from anywhere else, raw. I like my fish a little on the bland side, in comparison to my marinated meats, so this exploration was also to see what else can I do to my fish.
The Trout with Almonds from “I know how to cook” was the first time I have heard of a fish cooked that way and the first time I have done it. In fact, I am actually not sure if that’s what the book intended, LOL!
At the beginning of each section (types of meats/vegies is further categorised into basic ingredients), there is a “x can be cooked this way”. I wondered if it was a form of “blanching” and decided to give it a shot. In the end, this pan fried fish was really beautiful. Quite greasy (might have to tone the butter down), but definitely beautifully done. not saucy at all, nor the slightest bit too rich.
Truites Aux Amandes
2 trouts (the recipe book used whole trouts, and 6, I used 2 fillets instead, skin on)
100mls of milk
60g of flour
50g of butter
salt and pepper
20g of flaked almonds (it was listed at 100g for 6 full trouts. I adjusted it to this amount since I do like almonds but I don’t want the fish to disappear)
Lemon slices for garnishing.
According to the preamble, they suggest that trouts can be cooked in court-bouillon with salt. This is essentially enough water to cover the fish and salt. There was another court-bouillon recipe, so, instead, I sort of chop and change the 2 court-bouillon recipes.
Firstly, I blanch the fish in a mix of water, about 1/3 cup of dry white wine, salt and pepper. This took about 5-10 minutes. I let it dry for a bit before dipping the fish into milk first, then flour.
Heated up half the butter in the frying pan, I then throw the fish into the frying pan and let it cook through. This took about 10 minutes.
In the mean time, in another pan, the almonds were cooked with the remaining butter till they were brown – was also a little crispy.
When ready to serve, pour the almonds over the fish and garnish with the lemon.
accomplished








