It’s National Nut Day! So here is a dish that features almonds, Sauteed Trout Almondine.
However, my version of Sauteed Trout Almondine contained neither trout nor almonds.
I know, I know, I know. That totally negates the entire purpose of the dish. I couldn’t find trout!
So I pivoted. The traditional Almondine (actually, Amondine–we Americanized it, because of course we did) is made with Dover Sole.
So I looked for sole.
I couldn’t find sole.
I finally happened upon Westt Coast Dover Sole. I had never heard of such a thing. Well, West Coast (or Pacific) Sole isn’t Dover Sole, it’s not even remotely related to Dover Sole–it’s a flounder. But it’s also at a much, much, much lower price point than the true Dover, so that’s a win.
Since this was going to be a non-trout, flounder-as-sole fish dish I referred to the New York Times Cookbook and looked up sole recipes. This is a classic Sole Meuniere:
I selected it because it was extremely similar to 164 but with the cooking instructions for sole/flounder and not trout. I combined both recipes and cut the quantities in half.
I have a few cooking notes:
5:45 Start
Using canned potatoes so I don not have to boil. Just put in pot with butter and dried dill.
Using leftover corn from Sombrero Pie.
5:55 gonna nuke the corn and tomatoes
6:10 decided to go with soaking fish in milk for 15 minutes.
Potato cooking in butter
Corn/tomato–top with pat of butter and Old Bay.
6:30 Ready to dredge and fry. Approx 3 min per side.
6:40 fish is cooked. Warming in oven.
Screw melting butter inn the pan with the oil. MICROWAVE!
Melting butter and heating up tomato/corn at same time.
6:55 DINNER IS SERVED
Only took 10 minutes longer than directed on 164. YAY!
THE ALMONDS!
My “sole” is naked just because I forgot to pick up almonds. I just had a brain fart on that one.
So I am calling this:
Sauteed West Coast (Pacific) Flounder as Dover Sole Almondine (nee Amondine) Without Almonds
This dinner was lovely–even if it ended up not being the intended dish. The “sole” was rather tasty and cooked perfectly. It’s a great fish dish for those who say they don’t like fish. It’s all about the oil and the butter.
For lunch the next day, using the same pan frying technique, I cooked up the remainder of the sole/flounder, whipped up some tartar sauce, and assembled a most delicious homemade Filet O’ Fish sandwich:
It was really fabulous. Like, sinfully good. I could have eaten 3 of them.
Both dishes look delicious! I’m a fan of trout amandine and sole meunière. And a good Filet o’ Fish!
I’ve also cooked sole and cod by nuking it in a little milk and butter. The recipe for that technique implied a supposed “faux lobster.” Yeah, no. The milk does give the fish a little bit of extra sweetness that I find pleasant, though, and you can’t go wrong with fish and butter.
Say what now? You cook it the entire way in the microwave like that? Or is that to start and then you finish it another way???
Excellent reproduction plating! Nothing says mid century modern cooking like a stuffed tomato. That filet sandwich has the perfect fish to bread ratio. All it needs is a bloody mary…
I have another Bloody Mary in the queue! Maybe I’ll write that post today.