Ingredients:

 1/4 cup blanched, silvered almonds

 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

 1/4 teaspoon pimenton (aka smoked paprika)

 2 tablespoons minced shallot (1 medium shallot)

 2 tablespoons minced parsley stems, leaves reserved for garnish

 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges

 kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

 1 skinless fillet of delicate white fish, such as sole, fluke, or flounder (about 6-8 ounces)

This recipe can be dispatched in under half an hour-perfect for solo date-night vibes.

1. Toast the nuts. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the almonds in a single layer on the sheet pan, and toast them in the oven until slightly golden and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through. Allow them to cool, then roughly chop. Variation in texture and size is what we are looking for-but nothing larger than a pea.
2. Raise your oven temperature to 375 degrees.
3. Make the crust. Transfer your roughly chopped almonds to a medium bowl. Add the cumin, smoked paprika, shallot, parsley stems, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and a pinch of salt and black pepper to the bowl and mix until combined. Drizzle 2 teaspoons of olive oil and give it one last stir, until the olive oil is evenly distributed.
4. Prepare the fish. Pat the fish dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Using the same sheet pan you used to toast the almonds, drizzle the remaining olive oil on the pan and place the fillet in the center. Spread the almond mixture evenly on top, pressing ever so gently to form a crust. Make sure to cover the fillet end to end.