Smoked trout, crème fraîche, lemon, fresh crusty bread… I mean really, does it get any better? Ok, ok – maybe throw in a glass (bottle) of chilled bubbles or a crisp cider and we’re really talking heaven.

I’ve always been fond of smoked fish. My dad and brother are keen fishermen, so growing up there was a pretty steady supply of fresh fish – and as we lived inland, it was often trout. Dad would fillet it and smoke it in a small box smoker in the backyard and we’d eat it with fresh bread and potato salad for dinner. Delicious. I love the smoky, salty, fish flavour and the smell always reminds me of warm summer evenings and eating outside.

Apart from straight out of the smoker in lovely large flakes, this is my new favourite way to eat smoked trout. Mashed up with a generous dollop of crème fraîche, some lemon zest, and thyme, and spread thickly on fresh crusty bread (this delicious loaf courtesy of my clever husband). It’s perfect summer food and the best party food as you can prepare it ahead of time – meaning minimum fuss, but maximum flavour – what could be better?

I nabbed this recipe from the River Cottage Australia series – you can find the original recipe here – but have tweaked it slightly (more crème fraîche is always a good idea, right?). If you don’t have a box smoker, you can just buy a smoked trout from your fish-monger and skip this step.