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1
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
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2
Turn each fish on its side and remove the head.
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3
Wash the fish and clean the slits very thoroughly.
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4
With a sharp knife, cut through the skin right round the edge of each fish, just where the 'fringe' meets the flesh.
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5
Be careful to cut neatly and to cross the side cuts at the tail, or possibly it will be difficult to remove the skin later on.
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6
Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and lay them in 5mm of water in a shallow baking tin.
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7
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 min according to the size of the fish.
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8
The water should have just evaporated as the fish is cooked.
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9
Check to see whether the fish is cooked by lifting the flesh from the bone at the head; it should lift off the bone easily and be quite white with no trace of pink.
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10
Meanwhile, heat the butter, take off the heat and stir in the freshly minced herbs.
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11
Just before serving, catch the skin down near the tail and pull it off gently (the skin will tear badly if not properly cut).
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12
Lift the fish on to the warm plates and spoon the herb butter over them.
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13
Serve immediately with the remainder of the herb butter in a hot bowl.
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14
To eat: first eat the flesh off the flat frame on top; then put your fork on top, slice your knife underneath the bone and flip it over gently on your plate.
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15
Lift back the underneath skin with your knife and continue to feast on the sweet flesh.
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16
Spoon a little more herb butter over if necessary.
