Trout Fillets with a Pecan Mustard Crust
Instructions:
- 1â„2 cup toasted pecan pieces, finely ground
- 1â„4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon stemmed thyme or 1â„2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1â„4 teaspoon salt
- 1â„4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Four 6- to 8-ounce skin-on gold, red, river, brook, or rainbow trout fillets
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix the ground pecans, bread crumbs, thyme, salt, and pepper on a serving plate or in a shallow soup bowl.
- Pat the fillets dry with paper towels, then smear the mustard over the fl esh of each fi llet.
- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet over mediumhigh heat. Swirl in the canola oil. Dip the fi llets into the bread-crumb mixture mustard side down, patting to make sure the coating adheres evenly. Slip them into the pan mustard side up (that is, skin side down). Cook for 1 minute.
- Slide the skillet into the oven and cook until the crust is brown and the fl esh underneath the crust fl akes when gently scraped with a fork at its thinnest part, about 12 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before transferring to serving plates.
- Variation: Use any kind of mustard you prefer: coarse-grained, stone-ground, or even a fl avored mustard (if you use the latter, omit the thyme from the bread-crumb mixture).