TROUT IN PARCHMENT

1 (3-pound) trout or 2 (1 1/2-pound) trout, cleaned, with head(s) and tail(s) on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil, divided use
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
4 large garlic cloves, chopped, plus 8 large garlic cloves, minced, divided use
FOR THE LEMON-BASIL SAUCE:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place a sheet of parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet so it drapes over the sides by a couple of inches. Place the fish on the paper and season the cavity with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff 3/4 cup of the basil, the parsley, rosemary, and chopped garlic into the fish.

Season the surface of the fish with salt and pepper to taste and pour the olive oil over the top.

Place a second piece of parchment over the fish and crimp all along the edges of both sheets of paper to create a sort of envelope.

Bake the fish for 20 minutes (15 minutes if you're using two smaller fish). To be sure the fish is done, gently try to separate the flesh from the backbone with the tines of a fork. If it separates easily, it's done.

TO PREPARE THE LEMON-BASIL SAUCE:
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup basil, the minced garlic, the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt to taste in a blender of food processor. Puree the sauce until it is smooth.

Drizzle the sauce over the cooked fish and serve immediately.

Servings: 4
Adapted from source: At Mesa's Edge: Cooking and Ranching in Colorado's North Fork Valley by Eugenia Bone