Pescado con Almendras al HornoA long time ago, in Puerto Vallarta, I ate small whole pink snapper prepared this way and was hooked, but since I'm seldom able to buy beautiful whole fish like those in the United States, I prepare the dish with fillets of Pacific snapper or rock cod. Accompany the fish with Fresh Corn Salsa.
Baked Fish Fillets with Almonds
Pescado con Almendras al HornoA long time ago, in Puerto Vallarta, I ate small whole pink snapper prepared this way and was hooked, but since I'm seldom able to buy beautiful whole fish like those in the United States, I prepare the dish with fillets of Pacific snapper or rock cod. Accompany the fish with Fresh Corn Salsa.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole almonds with skins
- 4 6- to 7-ounce white fish fillets, each about 3⁄4-inch thick
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste
- 6 scallions including about 3 inches of the green, thinly sliced into rounds
- ¾ cup loosely packed coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 to 2 serrano chiles finely chopped with seeds
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
Instructions
- In a small dry skillet, toast the almonds over medium heat, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 5 minutes.
- (Take care not to let them burn.
- ) Transfer to a plate.
- When the nuts are cool, finely chop them.
- Reserve.
- Place the fish fillets in a greased baking dish just large enough to accommodate them in a single layer.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Scatter the onions, cilantro, and reserved toasted almonds on top.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a small skillet, melt the butter.
- Add the garlic and chiles.
- Cook, stirring, about 20 seconds.
- Add the lime juice.
- Stir and immediately pour the mixture over the fish.
- Cover with foil and bake until the fish is opaque but still moist inside and just barely flakes when tested with a fork, about 20 minutes.
- Serve the fish hot with the sauce spooned over the top.