Sluttishly Easy: Totally Miraculous Trout

Disgustingly virtuous

Every year like clockwork, I have a panic over what to get my mother for her birthday. Ditto when I have my parents over for supper, and last night was the double whammy.

Happily, my colleague Sara gave me her recipe for easy peasy fish, which promised to be entirely foolproof. And by gum, it wasn't only foolproof but it was utterly delicious. Delicious to the extent that my parents turned to each other, misty-eyed, across the dinner table and said things like, "Haven't we raised a clever girl." It wasn't even MY birthday!

In fact it was so easy that I kept on thinking that I'd forgotten something and that it was all going to go Horrible Wrong, until I realised that the thing that was missing was my usual feeling of "Aaaargh." I made my started and pudding in advance, teed up a bottle of prosecco, cake  and mum's present, and then the world's best truffles which my parents have been snuffling at for years, and job's a good 'un.


Totally Miraculous Trout (serves three)

You will need:

• oil for greasing
• three trout fillets
• bag of cherry tomatoes
• Two courgettes, thickly sliced
• pinch of salt (rock ideally, not table)
• olive oil
• new potatoes

Make it!

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and oil a large roasting tin so the fish doesn't stick. Place fish skin side down on the roasting tin and add the courgettes and tomatoes (just chuck them anywhere there's space, ideally not on top of the fish).
2. Add oil and salt (just a pinch) over fish and veg, and put the roasting tin in the oven for 20 minutes.
3. Salt and boil the new potatoes until cooked, drain and serve.

Sara's serving suggestion: "It's always worth serving with a side of fresh greens to combat all the roasted stuff, would suggest peas, asparagus or tenderstem broccoli." I didn't get around to this, but there was enough delicious veg (and oil-fish-veg juice, mmm) on the plate as it was.

(I got my mum Modern Family seasons 1 and 2 in case you were wondering)