I like cookery books. Even the modern kind of glossy coffee-table lifestyle cookery books, written by trendy TV chefs and filled with luscious colour photographs of artfully arranged vegetables of the sort that only middle-class people in the South East have ever heard of. Those things are probably a major factor in the superficial, celeb-crazed dumbing down of our society, but meh… I like them.
So anyway, I’ve been really impressed by one I discovered just recently… The French Kitchen by novelist (not that I’d heard of her in that capacity) Joanne Harris. It has all the makings of a “lifestyle accessory for the terminally smug” cookery book, with sumptuous photos of quaint French markets and wily old Breton fishermen. But, but, but… it’s got some really cracking recipes, mostly derived from the author’s memories of her (French) grandmother’s cooking. Here’s my paraphrasing of one we made this evening…
Trout with Fennel (Truite au Fenouil)
Find a decent fishmonger and get yourself one gutted and cleaned (and beheaded, if you’re squeamish) trout per person. Lay them on an oiled baking tray and put to one side, while switching the oven on at Gas 4. Finely slice some fennel bulbs (in good supply at the moment), one small one per person, and grate about 70g of Parmesan (assuming two people).
Now, lay half of the sliced fennel in a large casserole dish, sprinkle half of the Parmesan over it and lay the rest of the fennel on top. Season each layer. Pour over a small glass of white wine and the equivalent amount of double cream (again assuming two people). Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan on top and cover with foil or a tight lid. Cook in the oven for 50 mins altogether, but remove the lid/foil after 20 mins and put the trout in as well after 30 mins.