Fish in Hot Fanny Sauce
Submitted by bmwfrk23
Cajun-style fish seared in a fiery pecan butter sauce with three kinds of pepper, garlic, and hot sauce. Inspired by K-Paul’s in New Orleans, this works best with firm fish like swordfish, tuna, or sturgeon.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
25 minREADY
45 minThis Cajun-inspired sauce hits you with heat from three directions: cayenne, black pepper, and white pepper, plus a shot of hot sauce for good measure. Built in a cast-iron skillet with butter, garlic, onions, and pecans, it’s a home cook’s attempt to reverse-engineer a famous sauce from K-Paul’s in New Orleans, filtered through Portland’s Cajun Cafe.
The pecans play two roles here. Finely diced pecans cook into the sauce base, thickening it and adding a toasty richness. Sliced pecans go in later with the fish, staying more intact for crunch and texture. That layered nuttiness against the butter and heat is what makes this sauce distinctive.
High heat is key for the fish. You want a hard sear on both sides in about 4-5 minutes per side, with the sauce smeared on each side as it cooks. Lemon juice and oregano go in after flipping to brighten everything at the finish.
Chef Tips
- Use a firm, meaty fish that can handle high heat and a bold sauce. Swordfish, tuna, or sturgeon are ideal. Flaky white fish will fall apart.
- Cast iron is a must. It holds heat better than any other pan and gives you that sear without burning the butter.
- The sauce comes together fast once the pan is hot. Have everything measured and within reach before you start cooking.
- Taste the sauce before adding the fish. Adjust the hot sauce and cayenne to your heat tolerance.
Variations
- Tone down the heat by halving the cayenne and skipping the hot sauce for a milder pecan butter fish.
- Serve over saffron rice with snow peas or linguine with pesto, as the recipe’s creator suggests.
- Swap pecans for almonds or hazelnuts for a different nutty profile.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet, add onions, garlic, peppers, paprika and diced pecans.
Cook over medium heat until onions are clear.
Add Tabasco sauce.
Turn heat to high, add sliced pecans and fish pieces cut about 1 inch thick.
Cook on high 4 to 5 minutes per side. Smear uncooked side with sauce before turning. Add lemon juice and oregano after turning. NOTES: * Fish in a hot garlic/pecan sauce -- The Cajun Cafe in Portland Oregon serves a sauce whose recipe they got under license from K-Paul’s in New Orleans. They devoutly refused to answer all of my questions about the sauce or its ingredients, so I’ve tried to formulate it on my own, at home. This stuff doesn’t taste exactly like what the restaurant serves, but it’s delicious in its own right. Maybe it’s best to title the recipe “fish with something not entirely unlike hot fanny sauce. " This sauce is best served with a moderately strong fish: I would recommend sturgeon, swordfish, or tuna. * If you are cooking more pieces of fish than will fit in the skillet at once, make the sauce ahead, put it aside (keep warm) and add it before cooking each piece of fish. * Serve with a simple rice or pasta dish. I use saffron rice with snow peas, or linguine with shrimp meat and pesto. : Difficulty: moderate. : Time: 45 minutes.
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