Instructions: Preheat your oven to its highest temperature.

Wash the trout inside and out and pat dry with kitchen paper.

Using a pestle and mortar smash up the thyme with 1 teaspoon of salt and the olive oil (or very finely chop).

Rub this mixture into the trout; smear the flavour into the belly cavity and onto the skin.

Cut the lemons in half and remove the ends so they have a fiat edge.

With the point of a knife make an incision into the flesh of each lemon half and stick a bay leaf into it.

Place the trout and lemons on a roasting tray and bake in the oven allowing roughly 10 minutes.

To check that the trout is cooked properly just go to the thickest part of the trout fillet and try to pull the meat away from the bone.

If it pulls away easily it is cooked and if it doesnt put it back into the oven. for a couple more minutes.

By the time the.trout has finished cooking the skin should be crispy.

The roasted lemons should be beautifully sweet and slightly jammy in flavour this is such a nice way to cook the lemons as the bay also infuses its flavour.

Serve the trout with the lemon which you can squeeze on to the fish.

I like to serve this with some saute potatoes and a crisp green salad.

I think trouts a really enjoyable thing to eat especially when you have it whole. I remember going fishing with my grandad when I was about seven years old we used to catch trout take it home and cook it immediately. There is nothing like a plainly cooked piece of trout but trout with thyme is a really subtle and refreshing combination. The last time I cooked this I used lemon thyme from my window box and it was gorgeous the thyme complements the flavour of trout which as far as fish goes has quite an earthy gamey taste.

In the supermarkets on the whole you can only get farmed trout which isnt bad and is very good value. However they are starting to get some better stuff now like sea reared trout which means that they put the trout in pens out in the sea so that the fish can eat some real food and swim against real currents; I think this improves their flavour slightly. Supermarkets also sell some very nicely filleted trout which are completely boneless very easy and quick to prepare and good for home use. The best place to buy fish must always be your local fishmonger who should be able to get hold of wild trout. Alternatively go fishing and catch your own.

Serves 4

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