Roasted trout nested in green herbs

This dish does not absolutely require trout, you can do it as well with other freshwater fish, but it does not work at all well with fillets. As you will see, you want the whole fish, skin on to do it right.

But, isshhh (Minnesotan for "OOOOh icky!") you've never had fish with the skin still on? Well, relax, you don't eat the skin. Okay, some people do, but they're uncouth savages, mostly from Nebraska and Texas, so what can I say?

Some purists (read prissy little yuppies) insist that the trout simply MUST be "organic". If you catch it from a stream, you can relax, it doesn't get any more organic than that. Course, its been eating bugs, but hey, you eat fish, so no pointing of fingers.

Preheat the oven to 450 with a cookie sheet to keep it company. While the oven and the sheet are heating up, wash your fish and pat it dry. Score the sides with a sharp knife down to, but not through the bones (3 or 4 cuts along each side should do the trick). Rub the fish inside and out with a good extra virgin olive oil, making sure you work the oil down into the slashes in the flesh. Then line the cavity moderately with some fresh minced garlic. Rub some of the garlic down into the slashes as well with some salt and pepper. Okay, if you absolutely must, use organic sea salt. I have no idea how that changes anything, but it might make you feel better about yourself.

For green herbs use thyme, parsley, oregano, lavendar, basil, sage and just a couple of sprigs of rosemary. Wash them and pat them dry. Pour some olive oil on the cookie sheet (remember, its hot, so be careful not to burn yourself moving it in and out of the oven)and build your bed of green herbs in the oil. This will impart wonderful scents and flavors to the fish (and the house for that matter) and will also keep it from sticking to the cookie sheet while it cooks.

Place the fish on the bed of herbs and then into the oven for 8 to 12 minutes or slightly more if you feel you need to. The fish is done when the flesh is white clear through. Don't overcook it. You want it to be moist and full of flavor when you serve it (or why else would you go to this much trouble?!!).

When its done, lift the fish, bed of herbs and all onto your serving plate. This goes really well with some sweet roasted butternut squash over greens and bow tie pasta. I'll bring that one on board next.

Serve the trout, as you would with any freshwater fish, with a nice Chablis or Sauvignon Blanc. Or a Budweiser, but if you do, I'll never speak to you again, so its up to you.