WHETHER it's a romantic meal for two in the park or a family day trip to the races, the picnic is an essential ingredient of any British summer.

The opportunity to dine out al fresco and escape the stuffy atmosphere of the home or office is something most of us find hard to resist and to help us along the way this year, St Albans restaurant Carluccio's is offering a range of picnic boxes for those who want to head out into the sun and enjoy a delicious meal without the hassle of cooking their own food.

The hamper, which is packed full of goodies, is the perfect partner for anyone hoping to enjoy a romantic picnic in the park or just an open air business meeting.

Each box serves at least two people and costs £15. Typical seasonal dishes inside include cosce di pollo ripiene (oven roasted chicken legs filled with mortadella, breadcrumbs, herbs and garlic, wrapped in pancetta), insalata fregola (Sardinian pasta salad with spicy pecorino cheese, peppers and onions as well as foccacia and a seasonal fruit tart.

Each picnic is packed into an individual box with cutlery, napkin and cup along with a complimentary Aranciata juice from Carluccio's friends at Sanpelligrino.

Aranciata is made from a blend of mineral water and Sicillian oranges and provides a refreshing drink on a hot summer's day.

For those of you who fancy a little something extra in your lunchbox, wine can be added to any picnic hamper at the buyers request.

Picnic boxes are available throughout the summer. Orders should be placed 24 hours in advance and can be booked by calling Carluccios on 01727 837681.

However, if you just want to pack up your own hamper and head out to a remote beauty spot for a day of fun then you might want to try out this lovely summer dish below. This is a delightful summer dish which can be served as an antipasto. The most important thing is that the fish should be very fresh. It serves four.

Marinated sweet and sour trout

Ingredients

4 large fresh trout; flour for dusting; olive oil for frying For the marinade: 90 ml (3 fl oz) olive oil; 1 large red onion, thinly sliced; 1 carrot cut into very small cubes; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp raisins; 1 tbsp pine nuts; 1 small chilli; 5 tbsp white wine vinegar; 1 small glass of dry white wine and 1 tsp sugar

Method

Dust the trout in flour, then shallow fry them in olive oil until crisp on both sides. Arrange them in a single layer in a shallow dish.

To make the marinade, heat the olive oil in a separate pan and fry the onion, carrot, bay leaves, raisins, pine nuts and chilli until the vegetables are soft.

Add the vinegar, wine and sugar, mix well and then pour the marinade over the warm fish. Leave to marinate for a few hours before serving.