pecan crusted rainbow trout;
Originally posted May 19, 2016. Updated May 23, 2021 for content and clarity.
So Tyler and I had date night! One of those impromptu date nights where we ended up cuddled on the floor watching Castle and feeling really full. The best kind of night. =) And the star of the night was pecan crusted rainbow trout! It all stemmed from high fish prices at the grocery store–I was actually looking for cod and thinking about fish and chips. But everything was more expensive, and I saw the rainbow trout and just had to buy it on my way out of the store!
I love Bonefish grill’s pecan crusted rainbow trout, and needed to try this in my own kitchen. Luckily, pinterest delivered and voila! Thanks to Chef Jen, I’ve adapted this recipe and you can make a delicious seafood meal right in your own home. Copycat recipes are never identical, but this one came damn close. With a nice crusty, nutty pecan topping and thin flaky filet, this pecan crusted rainbow trout is perfect for date night.
It sounds and tastes fancy, but it’s a breeze to whip up! You can even simplify some of the steps by prepping ahead of time. I’ve gone on since that initial date night with Tyler, and made this on a mini-vacation for Tyler’s family at a lake house! You make the breading beforehand and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Chop and prepare the onions and garlic in a container, and mix together the lemon juice and wine and have that ready to go. I do prefer to keep the cream separate so that it doesn’t curdle with the lemon. Honestly, you could even make the sauce and store it off beforehand, and just heat it when you want to serve! But if you set yourself up for success ahead of the time, it really comes down to breading and pan frying the trout and making the sauce. Not too bad for an impressive–and delicious–meal.
You can use other nuts if you prefer, but I find pecans are the perfect nutty flavor to complement the mild trout. They’re nutty and wonderful as they get sautéed in the pan. With just a little kick of sharpness from the cheese, and the satisfying crunch of panko, this pecan crusted rainbow trout is just to die for.
Especially paired with that sauce. Use your favorite cooking wine. I typically use a buttery chardonnay because I find that buttery flavor lends itself easily to cooking. Lemon and butter just go together, so picking a buttery wine just makes sense. But it’s not the only option! If you prefer a drier wine, try a sauvignon blanc, my other love. Because this trout is mild, you’re looking for a flavor that won’t overpower the tender fish.
You’ll want to reserve the sauce until just before serving, otherwise it can take that crispness out of the crust. Don’t get me wrong–it’ll still taste amazing–but saving the sauce until the end is best. I like to pair this with a rice pilaf or some greens like spinach. But it would also go great with these pao de queijo, or brazilian cheese bread.
The best part of cooking in my house is that back when we first made this pecan crusted rainbow trout Tyler would always clean up after me because he’s so wonderful, and would get mad when I offered to help with the cleaning. I’m happy to say that five years later, he’s still the sweetest when it comes to cleaning up my rampage of cooking. Although I like to think I’ve gotten a little better at not being so messy in the first place. But he might say otherwise :).
pecan crusted rainbow trout;
Ingredients
Pecan Topping
- ⅓ cup pecans
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated pecorino romano (the powdered stuff works best here, but you can use shredded. Can substitute asiago or parmesan as well)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 egg scrambled
Rainbow Trout
- 4 rainbow trout filets
- 1 small onion sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 lemon, juiced (or ½ large lemon)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
pecan topping;
- Puree pecans in a food processor until approximately the size of the panko grains. (Optional) If you're using shredded pecorino romano cheese rather than the powdered stuff, I suggest tossing it in the food processor with the pecans and blitzing it a few times as well. This way the cheese will be smaller and evenly distributed in the breading mixture.
- In a flat and wide container (with enough space to lay the trout filets in, like a chinese food container) mix all ingredients except the egg, ½ cup pecans, ½ cup panko, ¼ cup grated pecorino romano, ½ each salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In another flat and wide container, crack and scramble the egg. Set aside.
lemon wine sauce;
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. of oil and allow to heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the sliced onions and cook 4- 6minutes over medium high heat until beginning to become translucent and soft.
- Add the 1 cup white wine and lemon juice from one small lemon to the pan. Cook until onions tender and the liquid is reduced by half.
- While sauce is simmering, prepare the fish. Press the flesh side of each filet into the egg mixture, then place flesh-side down into the pecan mixture. Press firmly to coat. Repeat with each filet and set aside.
- Once the sauce has reduced by half, add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Remove sauce to a separate bowl.
pecan crusted trout;
- Add another 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan and allow to come to heat.
- Once hot, place each filet skin-side down in the pan and cook 3-4 minutes. Flip fish and cook another 1-2 minutes until the pecan topping is golden.
- Remove the filet to a plate or serving platter, and repeat with any remaining filets.
- Serve warm and top with sauce immediately before serving to keep that nice pecan crust.
