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Redfish Almondine

Number of Servings:  4Redfish

Ingredients:

2 pounds Redfish fillets cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons parsley
Lemon pepper and salt to taste
Sprinkle of extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Begin by browning slivered almonds on stovetop skillet in 1/4 cup butter.  Stir almonds constantly and squeeze in lemon juice when browning begins.  Lemon juice will accelerate browning.  Remove skillet from heat and quickly remove browned almonds and butter to sauce pan.
Place browned almonds, fish serving tray and dinner plates into warmer.
Next grill fish over medium coals on an outdoor grill or on medium heat in a stovetop skillet.
Since it is very easy to overcook fish, the best control can be achieved with a cast iron skillet over a stove.
Add a sprinkle of extra-virgin olive oil to hot skillet and add remaining 1/4 cup of butter.  When butter is melted add fillets.  Watch for flesh to begin turning white, then cook other side of fillets until flaking begins.
Quickly place fillets on serving tray and sprinkle with parsley and lemon pepper.
Now pour almonds and butter sauce over fillets.  Let fillets rest in warmer for 5 minutes before serving on warm dinner plates.

Notes & Variations:

For best results on the outdoor grill, leave the skin on fillets.
This "almondine" recipe can be used with other white flesh fish such as halibut, walleye, perch, etc.

Contributor: Bob Kolowith, RRGC


Anecdotes:

The first time I experienced this almondine presentation was in a fine French-Creole restaurant in the Frenchquarter of New Orleans in the 60's.  The "Trout Almondine"on the menu was prepared with Spotted Weak Fish, called "Speckled Trout" in the deep South.  This recipe remains one of my favorite.

The Redfish is a prized saltwater fish in the South from Texas to the Carolinas.  These fish spend their first few years in coastal saltwater marshes.  A marsh flats "Red" of 15 pounds is considered a real trophy.  The Red pictured here was caught in the marsh flats off the South Carolina coast one early April afternoon when everything came together; tides, weather and available marsh flats forage.  In less than 2 hours 27 Reds between 8 and 16 pounds were boated.  Eleven were over 10 pounds.  All but one was released.

These fish were caught by "sight" fishing in less than 2 feet of water on lightweight spinning tackle.  Their line stripping runs were long and explosive.  Many times my son, Mark, and I both were battling one of these hogs at the same time.

After Reds reach about 15 pounds these big spawners stay in deep water and continue to grow to over 40 pounds.  However, they are fewer and with the added weight become slower and more dogged.  These  spawners are protected in most states and are not really targeted like their marsh flat brethren.   Good Fishing!