It has been a lot of years that this recipe has begged to be made.
Something about it always sounded so enticing. So luscious. So nutty and rich. I never ate it in N'awlins. In fact, I've never eaten it before last Thursday.
But I'm so glad I did make it, that is. And so is Manservant, for that matter.
This Cajun fish with brown butter and pecans was just a hunk a hunk of burnin' love! (Don't know where that came from!)
I always keep barramundi fillets from Costco in the freezer.
They are thawed in no time and I even here of people using them frozen and just adding a little to the cooking time.
Now I know that barramundi is not found in Louisiana but catfish is, and redfish and other fishes.
All you need is a good firm fleshed fillet. Trout would work too.
There are lots of fish in the sea, don't you know?
What a bummer; though that probably saved me some time given that it would have taken a lot of crackin' to get at those pecans.
But imagine a whole tree of nuts that no one picked up. Shame, shame, shame!
So now that I've talked a bit about nothing just take my word for it and make this fish.
Perfect for company and perfect to let your family know that you love them.
After all clogging your arteries with butter is a good thing now and then! I think in this case the healthiness of the nuts balances out the butter, don't you?
And since I'm just ranting away, I do believe that Julia Child and Paul Prudhomme had two things in common.
One was their height and the other is butter. Man, does this man like butter. And that's a damn good thing for this Cajun fish with pecan butter.
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Recipe
Cajun Fish with Pecan Butter and Browned Butter
- Prep Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Cajun
Description
This Cajun fish with brown butter and pecans, plus lots of Cajun seasonings is so good, you will wonder why it took you so long to discover it!
Ingredients
Seasoning:
1 T salt
1 t onion powder
1 t sweet paprika
¾ t cayenne
½ t white pepper
½ t garlic powder
½ t pepper
¼ t dry mustard
¼ t oregano
¼ t thyme leaves
Fish:
½ c milk
1 c flour
4 Fish Fillets
Oil for pan frying
3 T rough chopped pecans
Brown Butter Sauce
4 T Brown Butter
1 T Worcestershire
Pecan Butter
4 T softened butter
½ c toasted, chopped pecans
2 T chopped onion
1 t lemon juice
½ t Tabasco
1 t chopped garlic
Instructions
Make the brown butter sauce by melting 4 T of butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Let butter start sizzling and as soon as it stops remove from heat. Do not let it burn. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce.
To make pecan butter combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve for topping fish.
Combine all seasoning ingredients together.
Combine milk and egg together in a dish large enough to dip the fish into. Beat until blended with a fork,
Take 1 T of the seasoning mix and combine with the flour. Sprinkle some of the seasoning mix directly onto the fish on both sides. Pat the excess off.
Heat ¼" of oil in a large heavy skillet until it reaches 350 degrees.
Dip fish fillets into the egg mixture then into the flour. Pat off excess.
Fry fish about 2 to 3 minutes per side, making sure not to burn the coating. Remove and top with 2 T of pecan butter.
Place a thin spread of brown butter on a dinner plate. Top with fish. Sprinkle with pecans and if there is any brown butter left, make sure to drizzle it on top.
Notes
Adapted from Paul Prudhomme
Shobelyn Dayrit says
Hi! I am hosting my first ever Cunning Ladies' Friday Party in my blog. I would love for you to join us and add this beautiful post there. Love your pictures!
sprinklesandsauce says
we have not been exposed too much to southern food...this is just great!
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
Man oh Man whenever I have nut encrusted fish, it was been a memorable eating experience. This recipe goes WAY WAY WAY above that. Okay maybe I am just a wee bit carried away, but how lovely that it is UP. Laughing. Thanx for the recipe
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Fish = "Hunk a hunk of burnin' love"?!?! Seriously - where do you come up with this stuff!?!? I can always count on you, Abbe! Thanks for the smiles and this gorgeous fish recipe! So many luscious flavors playing together here - so lovely!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Pecan and browned butter? Stop right there I'm taking over the bus. Wow, what a clever dish.
Anna and Liz Recipes says
Abbe you are so funny! But your fish recipe is fabulous! Love the pecans and butter!
fromthebartolinikitchens.com says
Costco is a great place to find and buy frozen fish. As much as I enjoy fresh fish, it's not always fresh-looking and a fillet in the freezer is a far better alternative. This recipe sounds so good! Love the use of pecans with a bit of heat, Abbe. I need to give it a try before springing it on a couple friends for dinner one night. Thanks.
Corina says
It sounds really tasty. I haven't cooked much cajun food but it's a type of cooking I'd like to get to know better. I really like any type of fish and spicy food so this would be right up my street.
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch) says
I had fish like this when I was in New Orleans. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it looks delicious!
Liz Berg says
Oh, yeah, all the herbs and spices must give this dish some marvelous flavor. I think even Bill would eat it if I held the pecans on his piece 🙂
NancyC says
This sounds like a wonderful dish–haven't had anything like it before!
Juliana says
I love the flavors in this fish...spicy and nutty...looks delicious Abbe.
Have a great weekend 😀
Amy (Savory Moments) says
What a rich and delicious looking fish dish! So flavorful!
Daniela Grimburg says
That's a fantastic combination, love the idea of pecan butter and fish.
It looks so yummy.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I can't say no to some good ol butter, so a major YUM on this!
Guru Uru says
Mmm browned butter and pecan butter? That sounds like the ultimate seasoning 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Ansh| Spiceroots says
Oh wow wow!!Barramundi and trout are two of my favorite fish. And you already know I love spice - cajun to be precise! YUM!
Bam's Kitchen says
I love pecans and browned butter and that would taste so delicious on top of fish. Yum, can't wait to give this recipe a try. Take Care, BAM
Denise Browning says
I love cajun (and also creole) food...This recipe sounds fantastic and full of flavor -- as everything that comes from or is inspired by NOLA cuisine.
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Well Abbe - this fish is just lovely. Pecans and browned butter and all those seasonings - great recipe!
Angie Schneider says
Not quite sure that I had barramundi before..I love the combo of flavours in this protein rich dish, Abbe. And pecans...definitely a favourite.
Kitchen Riffs says
This looks like a terrific recipe! You can't go wrong with pecans. I often buy frozen fish -- it's often actually better quality than "fresh" fish because it was frozen within hours of it being caught, and the fish at your market may be a couple of days old. And I usually don't thaw it before cooking it. I always figure it'll take about twice the time to cook, but start checking about 3/4 into my estimated cooking time in case it gets done sooner. Lotta fun stuff in this post! Thanks.