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1
Preheat the oven to 450F.
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2
Place 3 or 4 lemon slices in the cavity of the fish.
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3
Add 1 garlic clove, the parsley, and a few sprigs of thyme.
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4
Cut 3 equal pieces of kitchen twine and tie the fish shut.
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5
Use scissors or your knife to remove any excess string.
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6
Season the fish liberally with salt and pepper.
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7
Heat the olive oil in your largest ovenproof skillet until almost smoking.
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8
(If youre cooking 2 fish at once, your pan must be at least 12 inches in diameter.)
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9
Put the fish in the pan on its belly, as though its swimming again.
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10
Brown for 3 minutes.
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11
Flip onto one side and brown, then flip the fish over and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
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12
Put the remaining 2 garlic cloves and a few sprigs of thyme in the pan and slip into the oven.
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13
Roast for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping the fish halfway through the cooking time.
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14
When done the flesh should pull easily off of the bone.
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15
Remove the fish from the pan, discarding the herbs and garlic.
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16
Run a sharp knife along the spine on one side.
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17
Insert a small spatula or table knife into the incision and pry the fillet up and off the bones.
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18
Turn the fish over and repeat.
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19
Drizzle the flesh with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and serve.
