Lots of people prefer to bake their fish by wrapping it in foil. This method is very efficient, as it cuts down on oven and utensil cleaning time. By wrapping the fish in a protective covering, it has a similar effect to steaming, as moisture is sealed within the foil rather than escaping into the oven. This is an excellent way to ensure that your fish does not dry out and it also helps to seal in aroma and flavour. Preheat the oven to around 200°C and grease the base of a large piece of foil with butter. Take the piece of fish and season it with salt and pepper. Place the fish onto the foil, add some herbs and lemon juice, fold up the sides of the foil and seal at the top. Place into the preheated oven and cook for the specified time until the flesh is white and firm.

If baking a whole fish in foil, ensure that the fish is properly cleaned, scaled and gutted before wrapping it in foil. The head, tail and skin can be left intact and the body cavity can be stuffed with herbs and lemon or with a breadcrumb mixture. Cooking a whole fish in foil will take much longer, perhaps around 40 – 50 minutes. Calculate 15 minutes per half kilo of fish plus an additional 10 minutes. Once the fish is done, remove it from the oven and open foil to stop the fish from cooking further.