Pan Fried Mountain Trout with Pecan Brown Butter

As soon as the water begins to warm in the mountains, the trout begin to move. Reward yourself after a day of fishing with this trout finished off with pecan brown butter. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 8 filets of rainbow trout
• Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• Flour for dusting, about 1/2 cup
• 4 TBS vegetable or canola oil
• 3 TBS butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 TBS chopped parsley

Season trout with salt and pepper. Using the flour, lightly coat the trout, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet, heat the oil and 1 TBS of the butter. When butter starts to foam, add the trout and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, skin side up. Turn trout over and continue cooking on the other side, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the trout from pan and keep warm. Pour off any residual oil and return pan to heat.

Add the remaining 2 TBS of butter. Swirl around until the butter starts to foam, turns a light golden brown color and smells nutty. Remove pan from heat. Add the pecans and lemon juice off the heat and swirl around to lightly toast the pecans. Immediately pour sauce over the fish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

From The Boathouse, Tales and Recipes from a Southern Kitchen (Douglas W. Bostick and Jason R. Davidson, Joggling Board Press, 2006).