Denise says:

This weekend why not recreate the flavours of the Mediterranean with this spiked seabass recipe. Sea bass are prized for their delicate white flesh and lack of irritating small bones and are almost always sold whole but should be gutted and their hard scales removed before grilling, pan-frying or even barbecuing. I have used a stuffing of sprigs of fresh herbs to add to the flavour. Fennel is also particularly delicious and can be baked in the oven with the fish for 20 –30 minutes.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes plus 20 minutes to marinate
Cooking Time: 15–20 minutes
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

4 (1 ½ lb each) sea bass fillets – skin on
4 garlic cloves – peeled and cut lengthways into slivers
5 tablespoons – olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs of rosemary
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish
2 limes – cut into wedges and a bunch of rosemary

Serve with
250g new potatoes – sliced
2 onions - peeled and sliced
2 red peppers – de seeded and sliced into strips
2 fennel bulbs – sliced and cored
2 tablespoons – olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1) Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºC/Gas Mark 6.
2) Cut three diagonal slits into the sides of the fish. Push the garlic slivers into the slits and some sprigs of rosemary. Place the fish in a single layer in a shallow dish.
3) Whisk the oil, vinegar, rosemary, zest and juice of the limes and salt and freshly ground black pepper together.
4) Pour over the fish and cover with the cling film. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
5) Cook the new potatoes in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain.
6) Place on an oven tray with the onions, red peppers and fennel. Drizzle with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
7) Heat the grill to its highest setting. Place the fish on a rack of a grill pan and grill for 10 -12 minutes. Remove the cooked sprigs of rosemary from the slits of the fish.

To serve the stylish way:
Serve immediately sprinkled with coarse sea salt, wedges of lime and fresh sprigs of rosemary.
Tagged in: Dinner Party, Fish, Mediterranean, Parev, Sea Bass, Yom Tov