Sea Bass is a treat, either as fillets or whole, though we have to order it, if we want a whole one, from our Fish Man. You can cook it as any other kind of white fish but it deserves a little more attention, I think.
These are my two favourite ways:
Sea Bass Baked Whole
Roman Sea Bass
This is so called because it doesn't come from a recipe but from a memory of a wonderful meal in Rome, when we happened upon a backstreet trattoria at the end of a day's city walking,and were offered a whole fish, sole I think, cooked like this to order. You can make it in small or large amounts depending on the number of your eaters and how many fillets of sea bass you have. You could of course cook a whole fish but it would need to be a flat one as a sea bass whole woudl be difficult to time cooked this way. If you only happen to have one courgette and two tomatoes it won't matter - you can vary the mixture to taste and circumstance. Potatoes and lemons are vital though!
These are my two favourite ways:
Sea Bass Baked Whole
- For 2 people you need a 2lb fish, gutted and scaled, by your Fish Man.
- Make a large double foil envelope which you will seal along 3 sides.
- Make a bed of shredded celery and fennel for the fish to sit on.
- Stuff the inside of the fish with herbs and finely sliced red onion.
- Slash along both sides of the skin, with diagonal cuts and rub in S&P.
- Then add to the envelope a little oil, 2 oz butter at least and the juice of 2 lemons.
- Seal and cook at No 6 for 8 mins a pound.
Roman Sea Bass
This is so called because it doesn't come from a recipe but from a memory of a wonderful meal in Rome, when we happened upon a backstreet trattoria at the end of a day's city walking,and were offered a whole fish, sole I think, cooked like this to order. You can make it in small or large amounts depending on the number of your eaters and how many fillets of sea bass you have. You could of course cook a whole fish but it would need to be a flat one as a sea bass whole woudl be difficult to time cooked this way. If you only happen to have one courgette and two tomatoes it won't matter - you can vary the mixture to taste and circumstance. Potatoes and lemons are vital though!
- Fill a roasting dish or or a nice oven proof serving dish with layers of potatoes, thinly sliced courgettes, sliced tomatoes,some onion, and fresh herbs, especially thyme and marjoram (or dried oregano). Use mostly potatoes with scatterings of your veg.
- Add lots of olive oil to moisten and the juice of lemons, to match the other quantities but use at least one juicy one. Season well with S&P.
- Bake this mixture in a hot oven, No 6, for about an hour until the potatoes are softening well - check and turn over the layers if necessary along the way. Turn the oven down if it is getting too brown.
- Once you have a delicious pan full, add your fillets on top, skin side up, well seasoned. If you have turned the oven down, put it back up it now so your fish cooks in 20 minutes or so. Add more lemon or oil if there is any sign of it drying out.
- Serve as a complete meal, with salad to follow or just sighs of satisfaction.
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