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1
Score each trout 3–4 times per side with diagonal cuts through to the bone, so the salt and heat reach the thickest part of the flesh rather than stopping at the skin. Season the fish inside and out with salt and black pepper, then stuff each cavity with one sprig of rosemary and 2–3 sage leaves. Immediately before frying — not before — dredge each fish in flour and shake off all excess, because a floured fish left to rest draws moisture and turns the crust gluey in the pan.
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2
Heat the olive oil and a knob of butter in a wide, heavy pan over a high flame until the butter begins to foam, because a genuinely hot pan sears the skin on contact where a lukewarm one traps steam and leaves it pale and soft. Lay the trout in the pan and do not touch them. This is where the dish lives or dies: the fish must remain completely undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until the Maillard reaction has crisped the underside and the skin releases cleanly from the pan of its own accord — if it resists, it is not ready.
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3
Flip each trout carefully and cook the second side for 4–5 minutes, giving the residual heat time to travel inward through the scored cuts. The skin on the upper side should be golden and crackled, and the flesh visible at the scores should show white and opaque through to the bone.
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4
Transfer the trout to a warm plate and rest for 2 minutes so the juices that have been driven to the surface by the heat redistribute back through the flesh, keeping the fish moist when it is cut.
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5
Discard the pan fat entirely, then over a medium flame add the remaining butter, the minced mentuccia (or thyme), minced wild sage, minced rosemary, lemon juice, and the splash of white wine, swirling continuously for 60 seconds so the butter emulsifies with the wine and citrus rather than separating into grease. The sauce is done when it smells of herb and lemon and coats a spoon in a light film. Do not reduce it further.
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6
Spoon the pan sauce over the resting trout. Drizzle with raw extra-virgin olive oil at the table.