Pecan Walleye

Across much of Canada, the month of May heralds the open-water season for arguably the tastiest of our freshwater fish—walleye. And here’s a great recipe for making it even tastier.

• Serves: 4
• Course: Lunch, Dinner
• Beer: Pale ale
• Wine: Sangria

Ingredients

Pecan Butter

• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Walleye

• 2 lb walleye fillets
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Pecan Butter

   In a food processor, pulse ½ cup pecans, butter, lemon juice and cayenne pepper until well blended.

2. Walleye

   Brush fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Measure fillets at thickest part and broil or grill for 10 minutes per inch until flesh is opaque.
3. On a serving plate, spread pecan butter over hot fillets, and sprinkle on remaining pecans. Serve with roasted potatoes and steamed asparagus or fiddleheads.
4. Tip: For stronger-flavoured fish, use stronger-flavoured nuts when making compound butter. Cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts and peanuts, for example, are great substitutes for pecans. If you don’t plan to use the butter immediately, freeze it.
5. Drinks: Enjoy your spring catch and celebrate the great weather with a pitcher of chilled sangria or a summer ale, such as New Brunswick’s award-winning Dooryard Summer Ale from Picaroons.