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Ingredients
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 whole sea bass, about 3 pounds, cleaned
3 cloves garlic
⅓ cup packed cilantro leaves, plus 10 sprigs cilantro
⅓ cup packed mint leaves, plus 10 sprigs mint
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Step 1
Use ½ tablespoon oil to grease a baking pan large enough to hold fish. Rub ½ tablespoon oil over outside of fish. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Step 2
Finely mince garlic by hand or by dropping it through feed tube of running food processor. Do same with the packed cilantro and mint leaves. Transfer garlic and herbs to a small bowl, and stir in paprika, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Use a sharp knife to cut 3 or 4 slashes about ½ inch deep in each side of fish. Spoon a scant teaspoon of herb mixture into each slash. Place fish in baking pan, and stuff cavity with half the cilantro and mint sprigs.
- Step 4
Put remaining herb mixture and remaining oil in small saucepan.
- Step 5
Roast fish about 20 minutes, until flesh in the slashes looks opaque. Remove from oven, and let rest 5 minutes. Gently heat herb mixture until warm.
- Step 6
Transfer fish to a serving platter, remove herbs from cavity and garnish platter with remaining cilantro and mint sprigs. Serve fish, filleting it as you go and spooning herb mixture over each portion.
Private Notes
Comments
A simple and easy technique with a basic chermoula. This time I did it with a mortar and pestle. I strongly recommend adding preserved lemon, about 1 segment (1/4 lemon). That will also provide most of your salt.
I made this with fresh thyme and dried tarragon along with truffle oil, no lemon, triple the garlic and it came out much tastier than I expected. I served it with sauteed zucchini, farro and burst cherry tomatoes. I never cook whole fish but this gave me confidence to try again.
This recipe was a great and simple way to prep sea bass. Fresh, flavorful, and fast. Only mod was adding some cumin to the spice mix. 20 min was a perfect timing.
A simple and easy technique with a basic chermoula. This time I did it with a mortar and pestle. I strongly recommend adding preserved lemon, about 1 segment (1/4 lemon). That will also provide most of your salt.