Foodie Friday, by Request

If you're not growing your own greens, you're dumb. Throw some seeds on dirt, water that shit, and there are your greens. That's all. What's wrong with you, you lazy fuck?

Whole trout wrapped in arugala and baked in parchment paper

A simple preparation that adds just a hint of peppery herbal flavor to the clean taste of the fish, this is one of my favorite summer meals. I serve it with a simple lemon-and-cardomon-flavored orzo and a green salad. A basic cous-cous with pine nuts, cucumber, and sorrel (or mint) is another good bet. You'll want whole, boned trout, fins trimmed and head on. Each trout yields two small filets. If you're a skinny faggot like me, one filet is good for a serving. If you're fat (i.e., anything larger than a skinny faggot like me), you'll probably want a whole fish. Most good fish counters or markets will bone the whole fish for you; some grocers and markets sell them as "prepared trout."

trout
fresh arugala
fine sea salt
white pepper
lemon
extra virgin olive oil
parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 350. Rinse the trout outside and in, then pat dry with paper towels. Lightly season the interior of the fish with salt and pepper. Blanche the arugala for 15-20 seconds (no more! it's very delicate) in boiling water, then immediately transfer to an ice bath. Wrap the fish head to tail in the slightly softened greens, so that almost no flesh is visible. Place the fish on a piece of parchment paper three times as wide and one-and-a-half times as long as the fish body and drizzle with olive oil. Lengthwise, bring the two edges of the paper together, fold over a qarter inch, then another, then roll down tightly to the fish. Then fold in the two open ends in a rough triangle (as if wrapping a gift), then roll them tightly to the fish. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Remove. Let cool slightly. Unwrap, remove arugala, separate the filets, and serve warm with a small wedge of lemon.