Cardapio

Pecan-Crusted Trout with Tomato Bacon Jam I have a soft spot in my heart for trout. I started fly-fishing in my late teens, and over the years I have come to respect the trout and its ability to spit out my fly and swim away laughing. Ketchum and Sun Valley are trout-fishing meccas with multiple world-class trout streams surrounding the area. The Big Wood River, which runs straight through town, was so close to my condominium I could hear it from my bedroom. Wild trout is splendid to catch and eat, but farmed trout is fine. It’s widely available, affordable, versatile, and sustainable. I serve it in a variety of styles, depending on the season, but the combination of pecan-crusted trout and tomato bacon jam is one of my favorites. The jam is also great on sandwiches, with cheese and crackers, or with eggs.

Yield: 4 servings 4 (8-ounce) whole trout fillets 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups finely crushed pecans (about 1 pound; see note) ¼ cup olive oil, plus more as needed ¼ cup Tomato Bacon Jam (recipe follows) per fillet Lemon wedges, for serving 1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 2. Remove any fine bones from the trout that may have been missed during filleting. Place the fillets, skin side down, on a baking sheet and season with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle with enough of the crushed pecans to generously cover the flesh side of each trout fillet. Press down firmly on the pecans to help set them into the trout. Pick up the trout by the tail and let the loose pecans fall onto the pan. Lay the trout back on the pan and sprinkle more pecans over the trout, pressing them down as before. Repeat this process until the trout fillets are completely covered with pecans.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat.

4. When the oil is shimmering and just beginning to smoke, carefully lay the trout into oil 1 or 2 at a time, depending on the size of your pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the pecan crust is golden brown.

5. Carefully remove the trout from the pan with a spatula and place on a baking sheet, pecan side up.

6. When all the trout has been seared, finish it in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Top the trout with ¼ cup of Tomato Bacon Jam and a wedge of lemon.

NOTE: Finely chop the pecans in a food processor or crush them in a sealable bag with