• Wash fish and pat dry with paper towels or place, uncovered, in the fridge for a couple of hours ahead to dry.
• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
• Lightly oil or cover a baking tray with baking paper.
• Score the fish skin on each side of the fish in two to three places. To do, cut a shallow line across the fish with a sharp knife, just getting through the skin, not too deep into the flesh.

  This allows the steam to escape and the fish to stay firm.
• Lightly sprinkle the inside cavity of the fish with salt and pepper, followed by a drizzle of olive oil. Then layer in lemon slices and half the fresh herbs and season both sides of the fish liberally with salt and pepper.
• Lay fish onto the baking sheet and repeat with other fish. If you have extra lemon slices, I like to lay the fish on them for even more flavor.
• Finish with a drizzle of olive oil over the top and pop into the oven.
• Cooking time depends on the size of your fish, but for fish these size, 12 to 15 minutes is usually good timing. To check, gently slip a fork or knife into the fish to see if it is flaking away from the bone.

  Remember fish will continue to cook after removing from the oven, so remove just before done, as not to overcook.

To Bake Fillets Instead

• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) — slightly lower than for whole fish, since fillets are thinner and cook faster.
• Pat sea bass or sea bream fillets dry. Skin-on fillets hold together best.
• Lay fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Tuck a few herbs and lemon slices around them if you like.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness — thin fillets need less, thick ones like halibut or grouper closer to 15 to 20.
• Fish is done at an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C), or when the flesh flakes cleanly with a fork. Remember it keeps cooking after it leaves the oven, so pull it just before it looks perfect.