If you're like me, fish is usually something bought on a whim at Long John silvers, with a side of hush puppies and corn on the cob, maybe even fries; or as a sandwich meal at McDonalds or Burger King; perhaps a tuna salad made by myself or the St. Louis Bread Company; sometimes it's eaten via higher caliber resataurant, but not as a rule. Sea food is another story. Why? I don't know. The rest of the family loves fish. I, on the other hand, need to beconvinced of it.

Unfortunately, fish can be one of the healthiest foods you could eat. Fish not only gives you nutrients not found in other meats or foods, but its proteins promote hair growth and luster. Even so, many of us can't even stand to look at our fish when we eat it, and if we can smell it, forget it. Surprising then that I should look at a recipe for fish and fall head over heals with it. And the taste is out of this world!

Of course, if you're reading this, chances are you do enjoy fish.

The following is a wonderful recipe and preamble borrowed from Beatrix Potter's Country Cooking; (Sara Paston-Williams, Photography by Ian O'Leary, Published by F. Warne & Co. 1991) with extra's and side notes by me.  This wonderful book can be found at your local library!

Excerpt from cookbook introducing this lovely recipe:

Beatrix had been accustomed from childhood to go fishing for trout and salmon with her brother, Bertram, on their country holidays in Scotland and the Lake District. Her letters from those earlier days often refer to fishing expeditions with Bertram.

In her later life trout and salmon were also a fairly frequent luxury, as her husband Willie Heelis was a keen dry-fly fisherman. In a letter of July, 1922 to Sylvie Heelis, Beatrix tells her, "Uncle Willie has gone out fishing - or poaching; rather an odd performance, occasionally resulting in 1 lb trouts." Perhaps Beatrix and Willie enjoyed grilled trout with gooseberry sause; they grew gooseberries in the garden and it is a very traditional combination. The sauce is also good with duck, pork, lamb, and veal.

 6 very fresh good-sized trout

123 g (4oz/ 1/2 cup) butter, melted

Freshly milled black pepper

For the Sauce:

450 g (1 lb) fresh or frozen gooseberries

5 Tablespoons (1/2 cup) dry white wine

1 standard  (medium) egg

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Ground ginger or freshly grated nutmeg

1. Clean the fish, leaving the heads and tails intact, but removing the gills.
2. Wipe the skin well with a damp cloth, but do not wash.
3. Line a baking tray or grill pan with buttered foil and place the trout on the foil.
4. Slash the fish two or three times diagonally across the body on both sides and brush generously with melted butter.
5. Season well with black pepper.

1.  To make the sauce, wash and top and tail the gooseberries.
2. Place them in a pan with the wine and simmer gently until the fruit is very tender. 
3. Remove from the heat and beat in the egg with a wooden spoon.
4. Season with salt, pepper, and ginger or nutmeg.
5. Keep warm while you cook the trout.

 A little honey may be added to the sauce if you find it too tart, but it should be on the sharp side.  One tablespoon chopped fresh fennel is a good addition.  And 1 tablespoon yoghurt, cream or fromage frais can also be stirred in. 

(Serves 6)

Did you ever wonder what it was like to be a fish? A fishy fish that was caught and is waiting to be eaten? By savage, fish-eating men. I am here to tell you, it is not a pleasant feeling to say the least. Most people don't know this, but it is not the hooks of the ghastly fishermen which kill fishy fish like me. no. It is the sudden fear and anxiety of having been caught doing something stupid. It is the blow of fin to head as we exclaim, "What? Am I an idiot? Was I really so desperate for a fly or neon colored goop that I was willing to risk my life for a morsel, and only to become one?" And let me tell you, our fins may look flimsy, but they can be deadly. So the next time you feel like being a savage fish-eating man, remember how we cam to be put on your fancy shmancy plate.

Thank You.

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED ~ NADDY