LAST week I waxed lyrical about the Aston Martin DB5, comparing it to the wonderful halibut.

This week I thought I would come back down to earth and talk about the Ford Fiesta of the fish world: Trout.

This dependable, reliable fish works so well for any occasion and is quite often overlooked and underrated.

It has a delicate, light flesh that is soft and has a depth of flavour, working well with light herbs such as tarragon and dill.

Again, it only needs a light accompaniment in a sauce such as hollandaise, bearnaise, or a buerre blanc.

Although a wild trout from a local river will taste good, the farmed ones these days are equally as tasty and will certainly suffice for a midweek meal or even a dinner party – and it’s not a lottery whether you catch one.

I have recently changed supplier for my farmed trout. They are proving quite popular, as they are coming in a lot bigger and without the muddy taste that sometimes can come with a river trout.

I have just watched James Martin in France cooking trout on a chicken farm/museum for chickens, which he thought would be different (and probably not offend the chickens), and I thought I would share his recipe with you: First of all, blanch some fresh green beans so that they are nearly cooked through, and remove from the pan.

Then stuff the trout in the belly with fresh tarragon then poach the trout in water on a bed of twigs in a large pan. Season with salt and black pepper. If you can’t find some twigs, then a rack will do.

While the trout are poaching, gently roast off some whole almonds in a pan with a little butter until golden.

Once the trout is cooked serve on a plate and gently remove the skin.

In a pan, melt some butter and once it has turned golden remove from the heat and add in the green beans and the almonds and pour all over the trout.

This dish was very simple to make and I am sure it was as tasty as it looked.

Thank you James for treating us to a fiesta of a meal!