Roasted Whole Fish

Step 1

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Step 2

2 Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil

Step 3

3 Place the fish on a cutting board, and pat the cavity dry with a paper towel

Step 4

4 Use a sharp knife to cut three deep (to the bone), diagonal slits on both sides of the fish

Step 5

5 Rub the inside and outside of the fish with 2 tablespoons of the oil, then season with salt and pepper

Step 6

6 Transfer to the baking sheet

Step 7

7 Sprinkle the garlic into the cavity of the fish and stuff in a handful of the herb sprigs, reserving some for plating

Step 8

8 Slice half of the lemon into thin rounds

Step 9

9 Place 3 rounds inside the cavity

Step 10

10 Slide the remaining rounds into the three slits on the side of the fish facing up; you may have to cut the rounds into half-wheels to fit them

Step 11

11 Roast the fish, uncovered (middle rack), until the flesh is just firm and flaky, for 20 to 25 minutes for a 2-pound fish, or until its interior temperature registers between 130 and 135 degrees on an instant-read thermometer

Step 12

12 Let it rest for 5 minutes

Step 13

13 Now comes the fun part: carving the fish

Step 14

14 Have a clean serving plate at the ready

Step 15

15 First, remove the pin bones along the back of the fish by cutting away the dorsal fin — follow the line of the fish’s back from just below the head to the tail and scrape away the seam of fin and bones

Step 16

16 (Tweezers are a good tool for removing pin bones

Step 17

17 )

Step 18

18 Next, separate the head and collarbone from the top fillet, following the natural line where they meet and cutting about halfway through the fish

Step 19

19 Separate the top fillet from the tail in the same way

Step 20

20 If you want to leave the top fillet whole, slide a long spatula (there’s a reason those flimsy metal fish spatulas exist) under the top fillet to separate the meat from the spine

Step 21

21 Carefully flip the fillet onto the serving platter so that it is skin side down

Step 22

22 Alternatively, cut the top fillet in half lengthwise, slicing down the length of the fish with a knife to separate the dorsal meat from the belly meat

Step 23

23 Then flip each long piece of fillet carefully onto the serving plate so that both pieces are skin sides down

Step 24

24 Remove any pin bones along the way as you work

Step 25

25 Starting at the tail, gently pull up and remove the fish’s skeleton

Step 26

26 The head should come off with it

Step 27

27 Scrape away the garlic, herbs and lemon slices and remove any bones from the bottom fillet

Step 28

28 Cut that fillet in half lengthwise, if you like, and transfer the pieces, skin sides down, to the serving platter

Step 29

29 Drizzle a little oil over the fillets, and squeeze the reserved lemon half over them

Step 30

30 Garnish the platter with reserved herb sprigs, and serve