I am thrilled because I finally figured out a way to cook fish so my daughters will actually eat it! My 3-year-old (who is the picky one) even had a second helping. This was after at least a dozen failed seafood attempts, but in the end it was worth it.
I am sure the fish being covered in almonds and a butter sauce had a lot to do with it, but who cares because the point is my preschooler ate fish, she liked it, and most importantly she knew about it. She even said the words “more fish please”, which means she thinks she likes something called “fish” now!
I think some parents have to be careful about how much they “hide” the good stuff in their kids’ food because the real battle is getting them to accept it. Sure, I hide veggies sometimes too, but I work even harder at making food so they’ll knowingly eat it and like it. And this recipe was a definitely success in that department!
Almond Encrusted Fish with (an easy) Beurre Blanc Sauce
I am thrilled because I finally figured out a way to cook fish so my daughters will actually eat it with the help of this recipe.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus 2 or 3 more tablespoons for cooking the fish
- 1 pound mild white fish, (I used cod, but something like tilapia or grouper would work as well)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup almonds, sliced, chopped into small bits or crushed in food processor
- 1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pour the white wine and 1 tablespoon of cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook gently until it is reduced by half.
- Meanwhile mix together the almonds, breadcrumbs, and cheese in a shallow dish.
- Next, coat the fish with the egg and then transfer it to the almond mixture. With dry hands coat the fish thoroughly with the almonds, breadcrumbs, and cheese.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a non-stick sauté pan (if you have one) and set it over medium heat. Once the butter has melted add the fish and cook it for several minutes on each side adding more butter if necessary to keep the coating “wet”. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.
- While the fish is cooking check on the wine. Once it has been reduced by half add 1 more tablespoon of cream and then 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk the sauce together and keep it warm until the fish is ready.
- Once the fish is flaky in the middle it is ready to be served. Whisk the sauce one more time and then pour it on top.
Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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How many does this serve? You listed 1 pound of fish. Most fillets per person run from 4 to 6 pounds each. So how many servings did you get out of the sauce?
This serves four.
thanx. appreciate it.
Made this tonight along with your cheddar biscuits. The family loved it!
I also tried this with apple cider vinegar and wow I gotta say amazing recipe, you really did a great job on this!
I’ve been reading this blog / recipe site for a while now and man the food on here is so mouth watering!
Apple cider vinegar in place of white wine?
That would work just fine. – Nicole
Great substitute as wine will turn to vinegar !
Hi Amy I took your suggestion and used Apple Cider Vinegar and it worked really well
Good! :)
Would it be possible to make this without having to use wine?
You could use Apple Cider Vinegar instead.
Wouldn’t recommend tilapia. It is short on Omega-3 and is apparently farm-raised under terrible conditions.
Depending on the country, all farmed fish have been raised under terrible conditions, not just tilapia. Overseas tilapia farms, like salmon and shrimp farms, tend to have a bad reputation, though new regulations and certification programs have changed that for consumers. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program—which makes recommendations for purchasing seafood that’s fished or farmed in environmentally sustainable ways—farmed tilapia from the U.S., Canada, and Ecuador are “best choices.” And though much (if not most) fish from Asia get a red light, Seafood Watch upgraded tilapia produced in China and Taiwan from its “avoid” list in 2011 to its “good alternative” list in 2014.
Farmed tilapia is promoted as good for your health. It is lauded as an excellent source of protein that’s “vital for building muscle”. Advocates assert that tilapia farming can help relieve pressure on the world’s diminishing wild fish populations at a time when many marine stocks have been seriously depleted. It’s relatively low in calories (90 per 4-ounce serving, raw). True it does not have a lot of heart-healthy omega-3 fats like Salmon. OTOH the higher the heart healthy fats, the higher the calories, which can add up if you want to lose and maintain a healthy weight. Farmed tilapia is particularly low in omega-3s because its diet is not rich in the omega-3-rich algae and other aquatic plants that wild tilapia feed on. However, wild fish does run the risk of being high in mercury and other toxins.
I don’t cook with wine. What can I use instead? A white grape juice or vegetable stock? Thanks.
Apple cider vinegar will work.
Like and Love it ! Very delicious :)
I didn’t have any access to breadcrumbs without going to the store so I used Oat Bran which I had on hand – it works great as a breading for fish or chicken.
I recently decided to start making a fish dish every weekend and this is by far the best fish we have ever had. Every bite was so good! My almost 3 year old ate a ton of it. I halved the almond and bread crumb mixture and then just sprinkled the Parmesan cheese on the fillets after I flipped them over. We felt like the sauce was perfect for 3 fillets.
This was absolutely delicious – everyone in my family loved it, including 3 kids (ages 8, 12 & 14). The beurre blanc sauce was fantastic also. I took the leftover fish in my lunch the next day, and so that it doesn’t stink up our office, had to eat it cold, and it was still delicious!! Highly recommend. Definitely found it made extra “almond crusting”, but I just put the extra in a Ziploc bag, labelled it, threw it in the freezer and will use it again the next time I make this dish.
Sounds delicious, but how is it healthy? It is cooked in butter and contains cream.
Organic butter is made with milk from grass-fed cows. This is a very healthy fat for your body as opposed to other hydrogenated oils that our bodies can not process well and become toxins. Organic butter also contains the healthy Omega oils because grass (what cows are supposed to eat) contains Omega-3s. Kerrygold is a great brand to use for this reason.
Yummy…yummy…yummy. it’s wonderful.Your Almond Encrusted Fish with (an easy) Beurre Blanc Sauce recipe is so good. It looks delicious and nutritious. All I can say, this is totally perfect for family bonding and for sure my family love this. I cannot wait to prepare this healthy recipe . Feeling excited to serve this. Your other recipes are also fabulous.Thanks for your beautiful recipe.Keep updating through your cookbook. I felt hungry…
I love this recipe, but am trying to avoid almonds due to the drought in California and how much water it takes to grow them. (I know it won’t make a difference by myself, but I feel guilty whenever I eat them.) Any suggestions on what nut would be a good substitute?
Hi Robin. I’ve made similar recipes with pecans.