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.