It’s a good day when your buddy Phil shows up with his trout pole and says, “Let’s go to our hot spot and catch some trout.” It’s a better day when a limit rests in the sink and you’re already planning dinner.

Gollum — from “Lord of the Rings” — prefers his fish raw. I prefer them cooked. That is, other than lox.

Do I dare say that the best trout is pan-fried? Certainly, after a day of hiking or camping, it is an extreme pleasure to pan-fry a late afternoon catch over a campfire. And speaking of fresh, these trout are best when quickly cleaned and sauteed. With seafood, fresh is always best. Here’s my plan.

Pan-fried trout with herbes de Provence

Ingredients

• Four medium-sized trout

• 1 cup flour

• Two beaten eggs

• 4 tablespoons buttermilk

• 1 tablespoon corn starch

• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence

• 1 cup panko

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Measure the flour and set aside. Mix the corn starch, panko, salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Coat the cleaned trout in all-purpose flour. Dredge the floured fish through the beaten egg and buttermilk mixture. Roll the trout in the panko and herbs mixture.

Let the battered trout sit for half an hour. Heat the olive oil until hot (do not burn) and slowly saute the fish until the skin on both sides is golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

My wife loves the cooked trout with tzatziki. Creme fraiche with chopped fresh dill is also great.

Herbes de Provence is available in most markets, but it is fun to make a homemade mixture.

Herbes de Provence

• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary

• 1 tablespoon fennel seed, ground roughly in a mortar and pestle

• 2 tablespoons dried thyme

• 2 tablespoons dried basil

• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram

• 2 tablespoons dried lavender (this is the most important ingredient)

• 2 tablespoons dried Italian parsley

• 1 tablespoon dried tarragon

Here is an alternative spice mixture, an Italian mix:

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon dried basil

• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

• 1 tablespoon dried sage