Ingredients

Whole Rainbow Trout (a 10″ to 12″ trout feeds one person; a 19″ easily feeds two)

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large lemon

Handful of whole fresh thyme, dill, or parsley (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Gut and clean the trout, including the gills and the bloodline along the backbone. Leave the head on for flavor. Wash the fish, dry it well with paper towels, and set aside.

Place the trout on a large piece of lightly oiled heavy duty aluminum foil on a rimmed cookie sheet. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Cut the lemon into very thin slices and layer them on both sides of the trout, leaving a couple of small slices for the inside. Add a handful of whole fresh parsley or dill to the inside if you wish. Drizzle a little more oil on top of the fish (spray oil works really well) and seal the trout in the foil tightly.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Note: Three easy tips for de-boning a cooked trout: 1. Remove the head. 2. Pull out all fins. 3. Take hold of the spine (where the head was), lift up gently and with a fork separate the lower filet from the fish skeleton; flip trout and repeat.