Trout with Almonds and Garlic Butter

Ingredients:
1 large trout
1 stick butter
2 lemons
3 clove garlic
1 cup slivered almonds
Fresh basil, several leaves
1 large red onion
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method
Soak the trout in salted cold water for about 1/2 hour. Clean the interior well and scrape the scales. Rinse well. Salt and pepper the cavity and stuff with the basil leaves. Use about 7-8 large leaves. Thinly slice the onion and stuff into the cavity.

Place the fish in a large baking dish. Cut one of the lemons in half and squeeze the juice over the fish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While the trout is baking, place the softened butter in the blender along with the garlic and the juice from the other half of the cut lemon. Puree until all is mixed well. This can be done several hours ahead of time and refrigerated. Place about half of the garlic butter in a heavy skillet and heat to sizzling. Add the almonds and lightly toast. Taste for flavor. Add the remaining garlic butter if you want, or melt it for dipping when you eat the trout.

10 minutes before the trout should be done, remove it from the oven and gently open the cavity and sprinkle a few of the almonds inside. Cover the trout with the remaining almonds. Do not recover and return the trout to the oven to continue cooking. Slice the remaining lemon into thin slices for garnish.

To Serve: Gently place the cooked trout on a large platter. Garnish with some almonds and thin slices of lemon. You can also drizzle some of the remaining garlic butter over all. Serve with your preferred style of rice and vegetables.