Trout in foil with lemon is the default — and it's good. But it gets old fast. After a week of fish-camp dinners, you need a way to elevate the freshly-caught trout into something genuinely special.

This recipe — bacon-and-thyme breadcrumb crusted trout fillets — does exactly that. 20 minutes from cleaning the fillets to plating up. Crisp on top, just-cooked moist underneath. Restaurant quality from a camp oven.

Photo by Farhad Ibrahimzade on Unsplash

Serves: 4 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 8-10 minutes

Photo: Farhad Ibrahimzade / Unsplash

• 4 trout fillets (skin on or off — your preference)
• ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 rashers bacon, finely chopped
• 1 lemon (zest + cut into 4 wedges)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh leaves from 2 sprigs)
• Olive oil spray
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the camp oven. Medium-high heat over coals or a gas burner. Drop a trivet inside (cake rack or wire trivet) to keep food off the bottom.

2. Lightly oil a flat tray or pizza tray that fits inside your camp oven. Spray with olive oil to prevent sticking.

3. Lay the trout fillets out on the tray, skin-side down if skin is on. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Make the crust mix. Zest the lemon (use a fine grater, or use a peeler — see the tip below if you don't have a zester). In a bowl, combine the chopped bacon, thyme, breadcrumbs and lemon zest. Mix with your hands so the lemon oil distributes through the crumbs.

5. Pile the crust on top of the fillets, pressing down lightly so it sticks. Don't pack it too thick — about 1cm of crust max.

6. Place the lemon wedges around the fish, drizzle the whole tray with olive oil.

7. Bake in the camp oven for 8-10 minutes. The trout is done when:

• The flesh flakes easily with a fork
• The crust is lightly browned and crisp
• You can smell the bacon caramelising

8. Squeeze the cooked lemon wedges over the top. Serve immediately with steamed vegetables, salad, or simple rice.

Photo: David B Townsend / Unsplash

If you don't have a zester (the small grater), use a vegetable peeler:

1. Carefully peel only the top yellow layer of skin from the lemon
2. Avoid getting any white pith underneath — it's bitter
3. Lay the peeled strips flat on a chopping board
4. Chop very finely with a sharp knife

Done in 2 minutes. The same method works for orange or lime zest.

• Fresh-caught trout makes a difference. Frozen works fine but the texture is best with fish caught that day or the day before
• Don't skin if cooking skin-side down — the skin crisps up to a delicious texture
• Substitute bacon with prosciutto for a classier version, or chorizo for a smoky-spicy take
• Add chopped fresh parsley or dill to the crust mix for variation
• Pan version (no camp oven): same recipe, cook in a covered cast-iron pan over the campfire grill, 6-8 mins
• Whole fish version: stuff the breadcrumb mix into the cavity of a whole trout, wrap in baking paper, then in foil. Cook on coals 12-15 minutes
• Serves great with: green salad with lemon dressing, steamed asparagus, baked potatoes wrapped in foil cooked in the coals beside the camp oven

This is the recipe that converts the "I don't really like fish" eaters in the family. The bacon and breadcrumbs make it familiar, the lemon and thyme make it elegant. After three or four mouthfuls people stop talking and just eat.

Catch the trout in Tassie or the Snowy Mountains, fillet it that night, cook it the next morning. There's no better fish dinner you can make in a camp oven.