Trout With New Potatoes, Asparagus And Lemon Butter

Shell Bay!!

This has to be the simplest recipe ever but was one of the best I have ever eaten. Other than olive oil, all of the ingredients that I used are in the title. This weekend we went to Shell Bay in Poole to use Jim's (my boyfriend, I may as well tell you his name now as "Boyfriend" sounds like we are couple of 15 year olds in lust, which incidentally at one point we were) amazing new camping stove. I don't know the statistics or it's advantageous points. I know it uses some sort of white gas and stunk out the kitchen when we tried it out. Camping food for us is usually pasta that we add to a sauce one of us has made the night before. What better time to try something new than when we are not in the wilderness for the rest of the night and when we have a lovely sandwich waiting at home. After this weekend, camping may be a bit different.

Jim frying the trout

I thought it would be a deserted, romantic and glorious time, so did about 200 other people and their kids. However we found a secluded spot just right for cooking up a feast! We are always on a strict budget as we are currently saving up to move to a bigger flat/house. Although in truth the reason is we just want a garden to grow veg and have a little pooch (who even though doesn't exist is called Barnaby/Parsley/Captain John Salty, we haven't quite decided). So on our strict budget we knew we wanted fish and at our peril browsed the fish counter at Waitrose. In all honesty, it is the same price if not cheaper than Co-op. We asked how much a whole trout was, thinking trout is more than delicious than salmon anyway but we may as well see. A whole trout, from Waitrose, was, £2.49. BARGAIN! The lovely gentleman even took the head off for us, which I thought kind and Jim being a repressed caveman was a little disappointed.

Me doing the veg

We boiled our new potatoes before we left and boiled our asparagus for 2 mins before we left as well so we could fry them off later. Jim filleted, extremely professionally I may add, and boned the fish, not quite so professionally as I had a few bones and a bit of fin, and we took it all away in separate containers. When we arrived at the beach (4 miles bike ride, one ferry ride, a very knackered me later) we set up the stove and fried off the trout first. Placing the trout skin side down in very hot oil for 3 mins to crisp the skin, then turning and frying for another 2 mins. After this it was cooked. I was slightly disappointed because it cooked so quickly I couldn't get enough pictures! We put the fish in between two plates to keep warm while we fried the potatoes and aspragus in some butter and lemon juice to heat them through and make a great sauce.To serve put equal amounts of everything on the plates and try not to kick sand on it. This was all it took and all I need to make me very happy indeed.

The dish of the day

N.B. This was the very first time I had ever tried asparagus and am very pleased to announce that I loved it. Not being a great lover of trying new food, which I am trying to overcome, I was more than pleasantly surprised at its soft yet crunchy texture and woody yet fresh flavour.