Haddock Francese
Batter Up & Butter Up for a Local Favourite
This is our Yarmouth & Acadian Shores take on Chicken Francaise — the classic French dish of flour- and egg-dipped chicken cutlets sauteed in olive oil and served with a white wine, lemon, and butter sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 4 haddock tailpieces, 3 to 4 ounces each
- Salt and pepper
- 3 large eggs
- A splash of heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, eyeball it – a couple of glugs
- Handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 lemon thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoon capers
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound Fresh spinach
- 12 grape tomatoes halved
- Flour for dredging
Directions:
Toast almonds over moderate heat until lightly browned and reserve.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Beat eggs with cream. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, swirl the oil in the pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, and cut into small pieces. Dredge haddock in flour and then dip the fish into the eggs making sure fish is completely covered in eggs. Add fish to the pan and cook on both sides until just golden, 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer fish to a plate and cover with a loose foil tent to retain heat.
Add chopped garlic and let it come to a sizzle, then add tomatoes, wine, lemons, and capers to the pan and turn up the heat to medium-high. Reduce by half, 2-3 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon butter and a handful of parsley to the pan. Turn off heat. Stir in spinach until just wilted and season with salt and pepper. Remove foil tent, pour sauce over fish and top with sliced almonds.