Whole Roasted Bass Recipes

WHOLE STRIPED BASS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Trim the fins from the fish, rinse and pat dry. Set aside.
• Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place 1/2 of the parsley, dill, lemon and onion in the center of the roasting pan. Make sure that this mound of aromatics is high enough to prevent the fish from touching the bottom of the pan. Rub the fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the fish inside and out with the salt and pepper and lay on the bed of aromatics. Place the second half of the aromatics on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before transferring whole to a platter lined with the additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN BAKED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Toss the peppers and onions with seasoning plus a small drizzle of olive oil. Spread on a baking tray and cook for 5 mins.
• Toss in the garlic and lemon with the onions and peppers. Sit on the sea bass, brush fish with a little more oil, season fish and roast for 15 mins.
• Stir the olives and pine nuts into the veg and roast for 5 mins more until the fish is just cooked through. Squeeze over some lemon juice and scatter with parsley to serve.

WHOLE ROASTED SEA BASS

Steps:

• Season the cavity and exterior of fish with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush with oil a baking dish that is just large enough to hold fish without crowding. Divide thyme, rosemary, and parsley evenly between each fish, and place inside cavity. Place 2 bay leaves in cavity of each fish, and place remaining 2 bay leaves in baking dish. Sprinkle scallions over and around fish; drizzle with olive oil.
• Transfer to oven and roast 15 minutes. Continue to roast, checking every few minutes, until the thickest part of the fish is just firm, about 5 minutes more.
• Drizzle fish with lemon juice and transfer to a cutting board; set baking dish aside. Working from the head to the tail, cut along backbone to separate the flesh from the bone. Carefully lift top fillet and transfer to a plate. Lift and discard bones. Gently lift second fillet to same plate. Repeat process with remaining fish. Drizzle with any pan juices before serving.

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.

WHOLE ROASTED BASS

Steps:

• Score the flesh of the fish from top to belly to 5 equal incisions from head to tail. Repeat this process on both sides. Season with salt and pepper on both sides and in the cavity. Make sure the seasoning is inside the incisions. Repeat this process with the herb oil. Place the fish on the barbecue and grill for about 15 minutes on each side. Be careful when turning the fish over and removing from the grill. The fish will be more delicate when it is cooked. For maximum flavor brush the fish with herb oil as soon as you remove it from the grill.
• Combine all ingredients. This can be prepared in advance and used for multiple recipes.