White Fish and Almond Sauce
This was what was made last night (found at http://www.mycookbook.net/Recipe_Search_Detail.asp?SearchID=267. I was using Basa/White Roughy (hmm, here’s a “fish thesaurus“), which has an interesting commercial history.
Yes, I had almonds lying around, and did a google search for “fish and almonds”. I also realized that I need a saute pan that won’t be eaten alive by tomato-based sauces, since my fry pan was on the edge of usability for the quantity of food being cooked. Time to look for stainless steel at the kitchen supply store.
This was served with rice and steamed broccoli.
Fish in Almond Sauce
Description:
This simple taberna dish features the classic Catalan nut sauce known as picada. With its heady mixture of nuts, bread and garlic, picada is evidence of the Arabic influence in Spanish cooking. Merluza (hake) is traditionally used in this dish, but you may substitute cod, sea bass, flounder or other firm white fish.
Ingredients:
Almond Sauce
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/75 g) slivered blanched almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/4 cup (1/2 oz/15 g) fresh bread crumbs
Pinch of saffron threads, crushed (optional)
1 1/2 cups (9 oz/280 g) peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) fish stock or dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup (5 oz/155 g) shelled peas, optional
4 firm white fish fillets, each about 5 oz (155 g) (see note above)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup (1/3 oz/10 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley or mint
Directions:
To make the almond sauce, preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and place in the oven until toasted and fragrant, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
Place 1/4 cup (1 1/4 oz/37 g) of the almonds aside to use for garnish. Using a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a nut grinder, finely grind the remaining almonds, being careful not to overgrind to a paste. Set the ground nuts aside.
In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté until tender but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the paprika, garlic, ground almonds, bread crumbs and the saffron, if using, and sauté for 3 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and stock or wine and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5-8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
If using the peas, bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Add the peas and boil until barely tender, 3-6 minutes.
Raise the oven temperature to 450°F (230°C). Sprinkle the fillets on both sides with salt and pepper and place in a single layer in a baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the fish, add the peas, if using, and bake in the oven until the fish is opaque throughout, 10-12 minutes. Garnish with the reserved toasted almonds and the parsley or mint. Serve at once.