Baked Trout and Sunny Days

Ah, sunshine! It's usually a rare commodity in these here parts but April and, so far, May have been nothing but glorious.

It's weather like this that makes me think of holiday food and that, more often than not, means fish.

This dish in particular reminds me of sunset at a restaurant on the beach in Mallorca a few years back. At the time the fish in question was actually Gilt-head Bream but, being at the mercy of Tesco fish counter (other supermarkets are available) I chose the fish that looked freshest and that was some nice Rainbow Trout.

Incidentally, best way to tell if the fish is fresh is to look at the eyes. They should be clear and bright. If they look cloudy then avoid at all costs.

Right, back to the trout. I keep it nice and simple. Take a roasting dish or baking tray large enough to hold your fish and scatter the bottom with a finely sliced onion and a bunch of chives.

Next, cut slashes in the sides of the fish on both sides and season the fish with salt and pepper, both inside and out.

Stuff the insides of the fish with a few slices of lemon, thin slivers of garlic and a bunch of fresh parsley.

Lay the fish on the onions and drizzle the whole thing with a good olive oil.

Roast (or bake, if you prefer - no difference as far as I can determine) for around 20 minutes at 180 degrees (gas mark 4 - I think).

Serve the fish whole with new potatoes and crisp blanched veg such as sugarsnap peas, green beans and asparagus. Oh, and how about a cheeky little dry white? Ah, go on then, I'll have a Gavi.

We've also had a raft of bank holidays, with an extra one courtesy of Prince William and his lovely bride, Catherine. We watched the wedding with a drop of fizz round at our good friends, Sles & Jac followed by a barbecue and a certain amount of cider. Cheers Will and Kate!

We finished off the bank hols with a trip up to the Camelot theme park with The Missus, Pooky and I plus Pooky's sidekick, Ubiquitous Katie.

When you've been to Orlando, those sort of places kinda pale by comparison. Still, a good day (along with picnic) was had by all.

Oh, speaking of barbecues, and Orlando for that matter, after being treated to gas barbies in Oz a few years back, Sles & Jac took the plunge and splashed out on a huge 4 burner contraption. We resisted but were tempted again by the one we had in Florida at Christmas.

Last weekend's wedding barbie finally persuaded us that we needed to abandon the charcoal and go gas so we've ordered a four burner piece of our own. It's getting delivered on Friday so putting that together will no doubt be fun. I'll keep you posted....




The Bloke