Recipe: Pecan Honey-Coated Trout (with honey-Dijon marinade)

PECAN HONEY-COATED TROUT

6 trout, butterflied
FOR THE MARINADE:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light molasses
2 garlic cloves, minced
FOR THE COATING:
3/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp olive oil (for cooking)

Open the trout and lay them flat in a non aluminum container; remove any tiny bones.

Combine the marinade ingredients. Spread the marinade evenly over the fleshy side of the fish. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

In a food processor or blender, blend the pecans, bread crumbs and chili powder until finely ground. Transfer to a plate or shallow dish.

Light a fire in a charcoal grill or heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the fleshy side of the fish with the topping mixture. Grill or saute, skin side down, for about 4 minutes. Turn and cook until the coated side of the fish is browned, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Source: Southwest: The Beautiful Cookbook by Barbara P. Fenzl

RECIPE NOTES:
"On Great Chefs of New Orleans there was a recipe a bit like this one. It is a takeoff on trout almandine. Catfish fillets are dredged in flour, then sprinkled with Cajun spice. They are then coated with pecans that have been mixed with bread crumbs, 3 to 1 ratio. I just can't remember what else was added to help bind this mixture. Experiment, it looked terrific!" - E. Stevens