Recipe: Tilapia with Almonds

Recipe Source: Clements, Carole and Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen.  French.  Anness Publishing, London, 2006 p. 88

Some of you may have noticed that I've been a little... slack lately.  I haven't been responding to comments, I haven't been leaving comments on other blogs.  I apologize.  I've cut back on a lot of things out of necessity.  At this point, I have very little energy or stamina.  I rush to get through the things that I absolutely, positively, have to do: check email, write up recipes so I have something to post, walk the dog.  Then I collapse into a heap.  Sometimes I make more food, so I can have more recipes to write up and hopefully not have to have a blank period after the baby gets here.  Sometimes I can't even manage that, or even wash the dishes from the previous night's dinner. 

This recipe is just perfect for when you're in the same boat I am.  (I wasn't just whining.  I promise.)  It is so incredibly quick and easy, and it tastes like you've slaved over it for days.  I used tilapia instead of trout because my husband won't eat whole fish and we had lots of frozen tilapia on hand.  Tilapia is cheap, especially when you buy it that way.  It also thaws quickly.  I probably also used a lot more almonds than the recipe called for, because I love almonds.  This means that the tilapia itself is kind of obscured in the picture, but I've never been much good at doing things in moderation. 

Tilapia with Almonds (serves 2; approx. $1.09/serving)

2 tilapia fillets

1/3 cup flour

4 tablespoons butter

2 ounces (approx.) slivered almonds

2 tablespoons white wine

Equipment:

• Saute pan
• 2 plates

1. Dredge the fish in the flour.
2. Melt half the butter in the saute pan over medium heat. 
3. When the butter is foamy (their words, not mine, but a perfect description of when the pan is ready) add the fish.  Cook until golden brown on each side.  Tilapia fillets are pretty thin and cook quickly, so I'd watch it pretty carefully.
4. Transfer the fish to one of the 2 plates.  Use the other plate as a lid to keep it warm.
5. Add the remaining butter to the pan.
6. Saute the almonds until lightly browned. 
7. Add the wine carefully - I usually turn off the heat when adding booze to a pan, because while I am quite fond of fire I don't necessarily want my kitchen to be engulfed in it.  The risk is small, but I can be a little paranoid sometimes.  Anyway, add the wine to the pan and boil 1 minute.
8. Pour the sauce over the fish and serve immediately.