Truite aux amandes

Truite aux amandes is a dish better known around here as Trout Almondine. Seems as though it was popular decades ago but has faded from the culinary landscape. I decided to give it a shot, going back to the basic French recipe. Some trout dredged in flour, cooked in butter or oil, and a little sauce prepared from sliced almonds, butter, and lemon. Simple enough, but filling and tasty. I think there's room for improvement, though, and I might revisit it in the months to come. I'm trying to see how much seafood I can process through my kitchen this year. By Christmas I ought to have more mercury in my bloodstream than a case of thermometers.

The wine for the evening was the 2006 Morgan Metallico Chardonnay from Monterey, California. $20. Nice citrus aromas, with flavors of lemon, ginger, and lychee. Good acidity but not crisp; overall excellent balance.

Curious about the orange side dish? That's orange cauliflower, a hybrid developed from a random mutation in a plant 30 years ago. (The math geek in me likes the fractal patterns in the florets.) It tastes better than white cauliflower and has loads of beta carotene/vitamin A. I steamed the florets until tender and then put them in a casserole dish with some olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and a topping of grated grana padano cheese. Excellent result, and I'm looking forward to trying the green variety of cauliflower soon.