Thai Sea Bass Recipes

SEA BASS WITH SIZZLED GINGER, CHILLI & SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Season 6 sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times.
• Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
• Once hot, fry the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden. The fish will be almost cooked through.
• Turn over, cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You'll need to fry the sea bass fillets in 2 batches.
• Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then fry the large knob of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 thinly shredded red chillies for about 2 mins until golden.
• Take off the heat and toss in the bunch of shredded spring onions. Splash the fish with 1 tbsp soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.

THAI-STYLE CRISPY SEA BASS

Steps:

• Trim and halve the spring onions, finely shred lengthways and place in a bowl of ice-cold water to crisp up. Pick in the coriander leaves, reserving the stalks.
• Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat.
• With a sharp knife, score the sea bass skin at 2cm intervals, then rub all over with the curry paste, inside and out, getting into all the cracks and crannies.
• Pack the coriander stalks into the cavities, season with sea salt and black pepper, then place in the hot pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
• Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until dark golden and cooked through (depending on the thickness of your fish).
• Drain and shake off the spring onions and coriander and pile on to your plates.
• Sit the sea bass on top, spooning over any spicy oil from the pan. Finely grate over the lime zest, and serve with lime halves, for squeezing over.

SEA BASS EN PAPILLOTE WITH THAI FLAVOURS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4. To prepare the stuffing mixture, bash the lemongrass with the blunt side of your knife to bruise it, then slice it into thin rings. Finely slice the ginger (across the grain) - you can leave the peel on. Squash the unpeeled garlic cloves to release their aroma. Put all the stuffing ingredients into a bowl and mix together.
• Take a piece of baking parchment about 50cm in length and place the 2 sea bass across its width. Fill the stomach cavities with ¾ of the stuffing mixture, scattering the rest over the fish, then season. Fold the sides of the parchment over the heads and tails of the fish, then roll it into a parcel. This can now be stored in the fridge for a few hrs, if you like. When ready to cook, place on a tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins, until the flesh flakes off the bone.
• While the fish bakes, put the new potatoes in cold water and bring to the boil. Once cooked, drain well, slice in half and return to the pan with a knob of butter.
• Arrange the new potatoes and sea bass on the plate, still in the parcel, if you like, and sprinkled with the coriander leaves.

THAI SEA BASS IN SPICY SAUCE

Steps:

• Add the cinnamon, star anise, and peppercorns to a grinding mortar and crush them.
• Transfer the mixture to the blender. Add the red onion, ginger, garlic cloves, and chili peppers. Blend.
• Transfer to a bowl and season with lime zest. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, coriander, and coconut milk. Mix.
• Heat the grill pan over medium-high heat and add the fish. Cook for 4 minutes on both sides, or until grill marks appear.
• Season with salt and transfer the fish to a baking dish.
• Pour the spicy sauce on top, then bake for 20 minutes at 350⁰F/175⁰C.

THAI SEA BASS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, warm 3 tbsp oil over medium heat. Season the fillet front to back with salt and pepper. When the oil is shimmering, cook the fish skin-side down without moving for 4 minutes to get a nice crisp skin. Lower the heat a bit if you see smoke. Flip and cook the other side for 2-4 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove and rest on a plate (skin-side up).
• Return the skillet to the heat, saute the shallot and ginger with a pinch of salt, stirring constantly for 10 seconds. Add the bok choy, carrots, and kaffir lime leaves and sauté over medium low heat for 1 minute.
• Add coconut milk, raise heat a bit to medium to simmer for 5 minutes. Portion the broth and vegetables into bowls and top with the fish (skin-side up). Season with red pepper flakes or fresh chili pepper if you want a little spiciness to cut through the richness of the broth.

12 MINUTE STICKY ASIAN SEA BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200c/400f
• Mix the oil, chilli, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lime in a small bowl.
• Place the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, on a baking tray. Sprinkle on the cornflour and rub it into the fish gently.
• Spoon on the honey-soy sauce mix (it will pour off a little, but that's fine). Sprinkle on the sugar and place in the oven to cook for 8 minutes. Half-way through cooking, open the oven and baste the fish with the sauce in the tray (it will be stickier now it's been in the oven).
• Once the fish is cooked, take out of the oven and baste again with sauce, then sprinkle the top with coriander (cilantro), spring onion (scallion) strips and slices of chilli.
• Serve with lime slices and some boiled rice or salad.

WHOLE BAKED THAI SEA BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180°C / conventional 200°C / 400°F / gas mark 6.
• Wash the sea bass inside and out, and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Score across the fish and through the skin 4-5 times on each side, then lay the fish on a large piece of oiled foil, big enough to wrap it up loosely. Do this for all four of them.
• Place the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, chillies, coriander stems, lime juice, honey, fish sauce and oil in a blender and give it a quick whizz until the mixture is roughly chopped.
• Season the fish inside and out.
• Use half of the mixture over the fish, making sure you push some into the cuts.
• Use the remainder of the mixture to fill the cavities of the fish.
• Pull the sides of the foil up to create a loose parcel. Crimp the edges to seal, making sure there is some space around the fish.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is cooked and flakes easily.
• Let it rest for about 5 minutes before opening the parcel. Serve immediately.
• Before eating, be sure to drain the juices in a bowl to serve with the fish. Remove the mixture because it's not edible because the woodiness of the lemongrass.

THAI STEAMED SEA BASS WITH LIME AND GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• Make three or four shallow slits on each side of the sea bass. Place the kaffir lime leave in the cavity and place on a steaming tray. If you have a fish steamer as shown, that is the best option but any steamer that will hold the fish is fine.
• Place the steamer over high heat and steam the fish for about 12 minutes or until cooked through.
• While the fish is cooking, heat the chicken stock in a sauce pan over medium high heat and bring to a rolling simmer. Add the palm sugar and stir it into the stock until it dissolves. Turn off the heat and then add the chopped garlic. The sharp flavour of the garlic will mellow in the hot stock and become softer.
• Stir in the chopped chilies followed by the fish sauce and lime juice and coriander and give it a good stir. Set aside
• Check the fish to see if it is cooked through. When checking sea bass for doneness, the meat should easily come off the bone. If it is sticking, steam it for about another minute or so.
• Place the cooked fish on a heated platter and spoon some of the solid ingredients of the sauce, like the garlic, chillies and coriander over it. Then pour the remaining sauce over the fish. It is not necessary that the sauce be piping hot. This is more of a salsa than a sauce but I do lime mine to be warm.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

STEAMED THAI-STYLE SEA BASS AND RICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. In a food processor or liquidizer, whiz up the coriander stalks, half of the coriander leaves, the ginger, garlic, halved chillies, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice and zest and the coconut milk. This will give you a lovely fragrant Thai-style paste.
• Cook your rice in salted, boiling water until it's just undercooked, then drain it in a colander. Scoop it into a high-sided roasting tray. Pour your Thai paste over the rice and mix it in well, then shake it out flat. Lay the sea bass fillets on top, scatter over the sugar snap peas or mangetouts, then cover the dish tightly with tinfoil and put it in the preheated oven for around 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle over the spring onions, the sliced chilli and the other half of the coriander leaves. Divide between your plates with a wedge of lime.

STEAMED FISH WITH LIME AND GARLIC RECIPE (ปลากะพงนึ่งมะนาว)

Steps:

• Make sure your fish is scaled and gutted, and then score the fish with 3 diagonal incisions on each side of the fish. Cut off the top halves of the lemongrass, bruise, and stuff the lemongrass into the cavity of the fish. Steam the fish over high boiling water for about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the size of your fish.
• In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock until it comes to a boil, and then toss in the sugar, reduce heat, and boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
• Mince the garlic, chilies, and cilantro, and mix into the chicken stock soup, along with fish sauce and lime juice. Stir gently and then taste test. Make sure it's sour, and balanced with a hint of sweetness.
• When the fish is fully steamed, transfer it to a serving platter (with edges to keep in the soup), garnish with a bed of Chinese celery, and place the fish on the platter. Gently scoop on all the sauce over the fish, putting most of the garlic and chilies on the top of the fish.
• Make sure you eat with steamed rice!

THAI STYLE STEAMED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Use a knife and make 3 to 4 shallow cuts on the flesh of the fish. This will allow the meat to cook evenly.
• Place fish on a large heatproof plate and stuff the lemongrass into the belly of the fish.
• Bring water to boil in a large steamer and carefully the fish into it. Steam over high heat for 8 to 10 mins depending on the size of the fish. Mine was done is 9 mins.
• In a medium pot, add all the ingredients for the sauce and bring to boil. Taste and adjust with more seasoning if needed. The flavor profile should be tart, spicy and umami-rich.
• When the fish is ready, remove the lemongrass transfer the fish onto a large serving plate.
• Pour the sauce all over the fish, garnish with coriander and spring onions. Serve immediately.

THAI GINGER SEA BASS WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Cover the mushrooms with 175ml hot water and soak for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the water, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Mix the extra 1 tablespoon cornflour with 3 tbsp of the reserved water. Put the rest of the water into a small pan with the fish sauce, soy, sugar and lime juice. Bring to a simmer, add the cornflour mixture and simmer for 1 minute until thickened and smooth. Keep on a low heat.
• Pour 1cm of oil into a large, deep frying pan and heat to 190°C (if you don't have a thermometer, it will be ready when a cube of bread takes 30 seconds to turn golden). Sift the remaining cornflour onto a baking tray. Season the fish on both sides with a little salt, then coat in the cornflour and pat off the excess. When the oil is ready, add the sea bass fillets skin-side up and shallow-fry for 1 minute. Turn, fry for a further minute, then lift onto a baking tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven.
• Heat 1½ tbsp of oil in a medium-sized frying pan or wok. Add the garlic and, as soon as it starts to turn golden, add the chilli and ginger and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and half the spring onions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Lift the fish onto warmed plates and spoon over some of the sauce. Scatter with the fried mushrooms and spring onions and garnish with the remaining shredded spring onions and plenty of coriander sprigs. Serve with some plain steamed rice.

SEA BASS THAI STYLE

Steps:

• Apart from the sea bass, mix all the other ingredients together.
• Arrange the sea bass fillets on a sheet of tin foil so that the shiny side is on the outside.
• Score the fillets, and pull up the corners of the foil. Spoon over the Thai dressing and crimp the corners together to create a sealed bag.
• Dip the base of the bag in some oil and place on a chargrill or hot dry pan and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the pan, tear open bag and serve.

THAI-STYLE SEA BASS

Steps:

• Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry. Measure thickness of fish; sprinkle with salt. Place fish in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.
• For marinade, in a small bowl combine next seven ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Pour half of the marinade over fish. Seal bag; turn to coat fish. Marinate in the refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally. Cover and chill remaining marinade until ready to serve.
• Drain fish, discarding marinade. Grease grill rack. Grill fish, uncovered, over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or just until fish flakes, turning once.
• To serve, drizzle remaining marinade over fish and rice noodles and, if desired, sprinkle with cilantro.

THAI GRILLED SEA BASS - PLA PAO

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except Sea Bass to form marinade.
• Pour marinade over fish in a ziplock bag or shallow dish and allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Grill over medium-hot coals until cooked through (about 4-8 minutes per inch of thickness, until fish flakes easily), turning once, and basting frequently with marinade.
• Serve with steamed jasmine rice, sauteed bok choy, and/or grilled zucchini medallions on kebabs (basted with marinade), if desired.
• Good table condiments include lime wedges and chile sauce (sambal oelek).

THAI SEA BASS WITH PEANUT DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the peanut dressing, place the ingredients in a blender and blitz to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To make the aubergines and mushrooms, heat the oil in a frying pan and stir-fry the aubergines and mushrooms until softened. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• To make the sea bass, fill a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan two-thirds full with the oil. Heat to 180C (a cube of bread should turn brown in one minute when dropped in.) CAUTION: Hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
• Dust the sea bass in the cornflour and deep-fry for 6-8 minutes, until cooked through and golden-brown.
• Meanwhile, place the liquor ingredients in a small saucepan and warm through. Pour the warm liquor over the hot sea bass and sprinkle over the garnishes.
• Serve the fish, aubergine and mushrooms with the peanut dressing.

THAI-STYLE BAKED SEABASS WITH BOK CHOI AND RICE NOODLE SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Whisk together the ginger, garlic, lime juice and fish sauce.
• Arrange the bok choi on a large sheet of baking parchment and add the seabass to one side along with some spring onion and chilli. Spoon the garlic and fish sauce mixture over the fish. Fold the parchment paper over the fish and seal the corners with metal paper clips. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.
• For the rice noddle salad, soak the noodles in a bowl of boiling water according to the packet instructions until they are tender. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water and set aside.
• For the dressing, whisk together the lime juice and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl until the sugar has dissolved. Add the fish sauce, chilli and garlic and mix through, then add the noodles, lettuce, vegetables, peanuts and fresh herbs. Mix to combine.
• Serve the sea bass straight to the table, allowing your guests to tear open the paper to reveal the steaming sea bass. Serve the noodles alongside.

GRILLED SEA BASS WITH THAI CHILI SAUCE

Steps:

• In medium bowl mix lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chiles, ginger, sesame oil and sugar. Pour half of the sauce over the fish and let sit for 1 hour refrigerated. Discard the marinade used for the fish. Grill fish over high heat, about 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through, and serve with the remaining half of the sauce.