BAKED SEA BASS WITH LEMON & HERBS (WITH TARATOR SAUCE)

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Baked sea bass with lemon & herbs (with Tarator sauce) image

This delicious fish dish is the perfect alternative to a Sunday roast

Provided by Ruth Watson

Categories     Dinner, Lunch, Main course

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 whole sea bass , about 1.8kg/4lb, gutted and scaled
1-2 tbsp olive oil
2 large lemons , thinly sliced (peel and all)
3 garlic cloves , crushed flat
a handful of fresh soft herbs, eg parsley , fennel, dill, tarragon, basil (either one single herb or a mixture)
50g blanched almond
50g pine nut
2 large, thin slices of white bread , crusts removed
2 garlic cloves , crushed and roughly chopped
juice of ½ lemon , plus a squeeze
150ml extra-virgin olive oil
about 2 tbsp or so fish stock or cold water

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 230C/gas 8/fan210C. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper, inside and out. Rub the skin with oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay three-quarters of the lemon slices on a heavy baking sheet and place the fish on top (see tip). Stuff the belly with the remaining lemon, the garlic and plenty of herbs, then season.
  • Bake the fish for 30 minutes or until the flesh is opaque at its thickest part - slide a knife into the backbone area to heck.
  • To serve, first gently peel the skin back, then lift off a chunk of the back fillet and a chunk of the belly to make one serving: each side should yield 2 portions. Use any lemon slices that are nicely brown, rather than jet-black, as a garnish.FOR THE TARATOR SAUCE
  • Put the nuts in a food processor and whizz to a fine powder.Wet the bread, then squeeze out all the moisture. Crumble it into the nuts, add the garlic and whizz to combine thoroughly.
  • Add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper. Start pouring the olive oil in through the feeder tube, in a steady, fine trickle. Once the oil is incorporated, the sauce will be very smooth but rather solid, so add enough water (or stock) to let the sauce down to a thick, creamy consistency.
  • Finally, taste the sauce, adjust the seasoning and add a little more lemon juice if necessary.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 371 calories, Fat 11 grams fat, SaturatedFat 2 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 1 grams carbohydrates, Protein 66 grams protein, Sodium 0.6 milligram of sodium

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