Trout with Pecan Butter Recipe

Lauded for their mild, nutty flavor and flaky texture, trout are a favorite culinary catch, often reeled in by kayak along Louisiana’s coast and through its marshes and estuaries. After all, few things Louisianans love more than a good catch.

Once you’ve caught your own, try this recipe courtesy of Louisiana Kitchen and Culture, which pan-fries the fish and tops it with pecan butter and meunière sauce. 

Trout with Pecan Butter Ingredients

• ½ cup milk

• 1 egg, beaten

• Seasoning mix 

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • ¾ teaspoon ground cayenne or red pepper

  • ½ teaspoon white pepper

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard

  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 6 Louisiana speckled trout, redfish or other firm-fleshed fish fillets, 4 ounces each

• Vegetable oil for pan frying

• 6 tablespoons pecans, coarsely chopped and dry-roasted

• Pecan butter sauce (recipe follows)

• Meunière sauce (recipe follows)

Trout with Pecan Butter Instructions

1. Make the pecan butter sauce and meunière sauce; set aside.
2. Combine the milk and egg in a pan (cake and pie pans work well) until well-blended. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the seasonings. In a separate pan, add 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix to the flour; mix well. Sprinkle some of the remaining seasoning and pat lightly and evenly on both sides of the fish.
3. Warm the serving plates in a 250-degree oven.
4. Heat about ¼ inch oil in a large, heavy skillet to about 350 degrees. Meanwhile, dredge each filet in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess, and soak in the egg mixture. Just before frying, drain off egg mixture and dredge filets once more in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess.
5. Fry the filets in the hot oil until golden-brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (adjust heat as needed to maintain the oil’s temperature). Drain on paper towels and, while still on the towels and hot, spread 2 tablespoons of the pecan butter over the top of each filet. Serve immediately.
6. To serve, spoon ½ cup Meunière Sauce onto each heated serving plate and place a filet on top. Sprinkle each filet with about 1 tablespoon pecans. 

Serves 6.

Meunière Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup seafood stock

• 3 sticks unsalted butter

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

• ¼ teaspoon salt

Meunière Sauce Instructions

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine stock and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a 1-quart saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over high heat. Add the flour and whisk with a metal whisk until smooth, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat.
3. Return stock mixture to medium heat. Gradually add the butter mixture to the stock mixture, whisking constantly until smooth.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add the remaining 2½ sticks of butter, about a third at a time, whisking constantly until butter is melted.
5. Gradually add the Worcestershire, whisking constantly, then add the salt. Continue cooking until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes, whisking often. The sauce may be kept warm or reheated by setting the pan over another pan of hot water. 

Makes about 2 cups.

Pecan Butter Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans, dry-roasted

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce

• ¼ teaspoon minced garlic

Pecan Butter Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until creamy and smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes, pushing down sides a few times with a rubber spatula. 

Makes about ⅔ cup.

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