There are few greater pleasures than cooking, and to the sharing of recipes there appears no end. The latter strikes me as entirely appropriate because food is all about sharing. Bereft of a pretentious title, here’s one of my favourite trout recipes:

Ingredients

• Fresh trout, gutted (and, if preferred, filleted)
• A generous handful of fresh rosemary, chopped
• An equally-generous handful of fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 1–2 tbsp chopped or grated ginger
• 2–3 tbsp honey
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Juice from 1 orange
• 3–4 tsp lemon juice
• 2–3 tsp soy sauce
• 3–4 tbsp pine nuts
• 4–5 handfuls of baby spinach (optional)
• Crushed rock salt
• Black pepper, freshly ground
• Butter
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Rice

Cooking

• First thing is, preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6. Then get the rice on (in lightly salted water). Then season the trout (whether whole or fillets) all over with all the rosemary, all the ginger, half the parsley and salt and pepper. Don’t skimp on the ginger! Place fish in a shallow ovenproof dish with a good splash of extra virgin olive oil and butter (extra butter on top helps the cholesterol) and bake covered for about 20 minutes, or until the fish is opaque.
• Meanwhile, pour yourself a generous glass of wine (you’re working hard). Then, mix together the honey, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, and a little salt and pepper in a bowl. Then it’s time for a quick drink (of the wine, not the sauce).
• Then, lightly toast the pine nuts until light brown (don’t burn the little fellas), then put them aside to cool down. If you’re going for the spinach option, it’s now time to add the spinach to the pan in which you toasted the pine nuts, add 2–3 tbsp water and cover. Cook for around 3 minutes until the spinach has wilted.

Serving Up

Place the rice (and spinach) on warmed serving plates – right in the centre. Then gently place the trout on top of the rice (and spinach). Scatter the plate with the toasted pine nuts, splash the dressing over the fish and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.

Eat slowly, and enjoy it with the best bottle of Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc that you can afford.