- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 (10 ounce) whole brook, rainbow, or brown trout, cleaned, keeping head and tail intact
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably oval) over low heat and remove from heat.
- Rinse trout and pat dry. Brush with melted butter inside and out and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt (total for both fish). Mound flour on a sheet of wax paper, then dredge each fish in flour to coat completely, shaking off excess.
- Add oil and 2 tablespoons butter to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saute both trout, gently turning over once using 2 spatulas, until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 8 minutes total (fish will continue to cook as it stands). Transfer each trout to a plate and keep warm in oven.
- Pour off fat from skillet and wipe skillet clean. Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter over moderately low heat, then cook pecans, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker, 1 to 2 minutes. Add parsley, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, swirling skillet to combine, and remove from heat. Add lemon juice, swirling skillet to incorporate, and spoon over trout. Serve immediately.