Today we’re serving two very simple suppers. The pan-fried trout is a recipe my mother would have often made at home. Wild sea trout is great with this dish. It’s a very underused fish and there are a lot of fishermen out there landing the wild version. Goatsbridge in Thomastown have beautiful smoked trout and trout roe that are both well worth trying.

The combination of fish and bacon works very well, but if you are a pescetarian then just leave out the bacon. (Pescetarians are people who eat fish, but not meat.)

If you don’t have fresh lemon you can drizzle a little Donegal rapeseed oil with the lemon flavour.

My brother Kenneth is the master of satay and after my recent book launch I ate a fabulous chicken satay in Saba, which is located just behind the Westbury. This recipe also works well with prawns, beef or pork. If you don’t have muscovado then any brown sugar will be fine. I have recently been using palm sugar. Thai Gold make a very good range of products for this type of cooking.

Happy cooking.

Pan-fried trout with crispy bacon and garlic

Serves four

8 thin rindless streaky bacon rashers (dry-cured, if possible)

50g (2oz) of seasoned flour

8 x 75g (3oz) trout fillets, skinned and boned

100g (4oz) of unsalted butter

1 large garlic clove, crushed

2 tbsp of chopped fresh mixed herbs (flat-leaf parsley, chives and tarragon)

1 lemon, halved and pips removed

Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Crushed new potatoes and watercress

  • Heat a large heavy-based frying pan on a fairly high heat and preheat the grill. Arrange the bacon on a grill rack and cook for a minute or so on each side until it’s crisp. Drain it on kitchen paper and allow to crisp up completely. Chop the bacon or use a scissors to snip it into small pieces.

  • Meanwhile, place the seasoned flour on a plate and use it to lightly dust the fish fillets on both sides, shaking off any surplus. Add half the butter to the pan and when it foams, add half of the floured trout fillets, flesh-side down. Cook for two minutes until lightly golden, then turn over and cook for another one to two minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Transfer to a warmed serving plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining butter and fish.

  • Wipe out the pan and add the remaining butter with the garlic, allowing it to melt over a moderate heat. When the butter starts to melt and turns to light-brown foam, quickly add the herbs and a good squeeze of lemon juice, swirling to combine.

  • Arrange two pieces of trout on each serving plate, scatter the bacon over it and drizzle with the butter. Add some crushed new potatoes to the side, scatter over the watercress and serve.

    • Chicken satay noodles

    Serves four to six

    275g (10oz) of fine egg noodles

    1 tbsp of Donegal rapeseed oil

    1 large red pepper, halved, seeded and thinly sliced

    225g (8oz) of fine green beans, trimmed and halved

    175g (6oz) of baby corn, halved lengthways

    2 garlic cloves, crushed

    400g (14oz) can of coconut milk

    350g (12oz) of cooked chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

    100g (4oz) of crunchy peanut butter

    2 tbsp of dark soy sauce

    2 tbsp of sweet chilli sauce

    1 tsp of light muscovado sugar

    Juice of ½ lime

    50g (2oz) of cashew nuts, toasted and finely chopped

    Handful of fresh coriander leaves

  • Place the fine egg noodles in a pan of boiling water and cook for three to four minutes until tender, or according to packet instructions.

  • Heat a wok until very hot. Add the oil and swirl it around the edges, then tip in the red pepper, green beans, baby corn and garlic and stir-fry for three to four minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle over one tablespoon of water if the mixture is getting too dry.

  • Drain the noodles and add them to the wok with the coconut milk, chicken, peanut butter, soy sauce, chilli sauce, sugar and lime juice. Stir-fry for another two to three minutes, until all the ingredients are piping hot.

  • To serve, divide among warmed serving bowls and scatter over the cashew nuts and coriander.