Fish amandine

Amandine is a term not used much anymore. It is an old French word for thinly sliced almonds that have been sauteed in butter. The current term for this is almondine. However, I spent a lot of time during my youth on the Gulf Coast and many of the restaurants there used the old word to describe the fish dishes I enjoyed that were garnished with a layer of sauteed, thin sliced almonds. This is my salute to the many fine meals I enjoyed while my dad was shrimping in the Gulf. The final browning in the oven is just enough to get the top layer of almond slices crunchy, and it adds a light almond taste to the fish.

Grunts and porgys are not the glory fish of offshore bottom fishing. Nope, that title goes to grouper and snapper, followed by tilefish, triggerfish and black sea bass. Grunts and porgys are somewhat like the “also-rans” of the offshore bottom fishing world. Don’t let that lead you astray though. They may not be talked about as much as other fish in their neighborhood, but they’re fine table fare. In fact, they don’t get talked about much when folks are introduced to them as the main course for the first time either – folks are too busy enjoying their excellent, light flavor.

Enjoy!

The first step is making the amandine (almondine) and it’s extremely simple. The almonds and the butter are combined in a pan and sauteed. If you would like this a little sweeter, add a pinch of brown sugar to the butter. Keep the almond slices moving so they don’t stick and burn. Remove this from the burner while preparing the fish.

The second step is initially cooking the fish. Pat the fish almost dry and season it (both sides) with salt and pepper, then dredge both sides through the flour. The flour coating should cover the fillets. I use salted butter and rarely add any salt. I like pepper and use a pepper grinder set on roughly medium to add a good dusting of pepper.

This first cooking of the fish isn’t to complete it, but to get it ready for the final step, so don’t sauté it until it’s done.

The final cooking is baking the fish in a pan, with the Amandine over it. If you use a Pyrex dish, a light coating of buttery non-stick spray preps the pan, but if you use a metal pan, line it with aluminum foil for the final step. This makes clean-up so much easier.

When the pan is ready, place the fillets in it and spoon the amandine over them. Different folks like different amounts of lemon juice in this. I like it very light and some of my friends like a heavier lemon taste. With the oven preheated to 375, bake the fillets until they brown. This usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes in my oven. Serve the fillets while they’re hot.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-6 (2 pounds) porgy and grunt fillets
• 3/4 Cup sliced almonds
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Cup flour
• 1 1/4 Cups melted salted butter
• Salt and pepper
• Buttery flavored non-stick cooking spray

Optional:

A pinch of brown sugar

PREPARATION:

Amandine:

• Mix the almonds and 3/4 cup melted butter in a skillet.
• Sauté until the almonds turn light brown.
• If you are going to add the sugar, stir it in while sautéing the almonds.

Fish:

• Wash fillets and pat almost dry.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Dredge both sides in flour.
• Heat 1/2 cup butter in a pan and sauté fillets until lightly done, but not browned.

Combined:

• Move the fillets to a pan that fits them closely.
• Pour the amandine mixture over the fillets.
• Sprinkle fillets to taste with lemon juice.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Bake the fillets 3-5 minutes until they are nicely browned. Be careful not to overcook the fillets.
• Serve while hot.

A spoonful of the amandine mixture can be drizzled over each fillet.

This serves well with a baked potato or baked sweet potato and steamed or sauteed vegetables. Hearty rolls or a piece of hearty bread also accompanies this well. A green salad or lettuce wedge is a great start to this meal. Fried bananas or baked plantains make a great dessert for those who like to finish a meal with something sweet.

Typically, if you see something cooked amandine in restaurants, it is trout, snapper, grouper or one of the other higher profile fish. I learned at a young age that many of the less popular fish could taste as good as the more popular ones. Even later while fishing commercially myself, I sold the fish in my catch that brought better money and kept a few of the others to eat myself.

Let me salute these underrated fish again. Many fishermen don’t particularly care for them and that’s a mistake. Grunts and porgys are fun to catch and they taste good too. When I was chartering and groups didn’t want them and asked what to do with them, I told them I knew a guy who would be glad to have them. That guy was me, and this is one of the ways I prepare them to jazz up their already fine flavor.

The post “Porgrunt amandine” first appeared on CarolinaSportsman.com.