Baked Trout Almond Butter (Printable)
Whole trout baked to perfection and topped with a warm almond butter sauce for a savory finish.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 whole trout, approx. 10.5 oz each, cleaned and scaled
02 - 1 lemon, sliced
03 - 2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
04 - 2 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
05 - Salt, to taste
06 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
→ Almond Butter Sauce
08 - 5 tbsp unsalted butter
09 - 1.75 oz sliced almonds
10 - 1 tbsp lemon juice
11 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 390°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Rinse trout under cold water and pat dry thoroughly. Season the interior and exterior with salt and pepper.
03 - Insert lemon slices, chopped parsley, and dill into the cavity of each trout.
04 - Place the stuffed trout onto the prepared baking tray and drizzle evenly with olive oil.
05 - Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the flesh becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
06 - While fish bakes, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add sliced almonds and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
07 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley to the almond butter mixture.
08 - Transfer baked trout to plates and spoon warm almond butter sauce over each serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The whole fish stays incredibly moist while the skin crisps just enough to be interesting, and it looks restaurant-worthy when plated.
- Almond butter brings a toasted, subtle richness that feels fancy but takes barely five minutes to make.
- Everything comes together in thirty-five minutes without any complicated techniques or a list of specialty ingredients.
02 -
- Pat the trout dry before cooking or the skin will steam instead of crisping, and the whole dish loses a layer of texture and flavor.
- Watch the almonds like a hawk because they go from golden to burnt in the span of maybe thirty seconds, and burnt almonds taste bitter and can't be rescued.
- Don't overcook the fish trying to make it perfect; the carryover heat continues to cook it even after you pull it from the oven, so aim for just barely opaque.
03 -
- Buy your trout from a fishmonger rather than the supermarket counter when you can; they're fresher, they'll clean it properly, and they usually know how old it is.
- Keep a small dish of fleur de sel at your plating station and finish each plate with a tiny pinch so the salt hits your tongue and wakes up all the subtle flavors you've built.