Panfried Trout with Pecan Butter Sauce Recipe

Panfried Trout with Pecan Butter Sauce Recipe

  • 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
  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet (preferably oval) over low heat and remove from heat.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.