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1
Butterfly the Sea Bass from the Backbone
10 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Lay each cleaned sea bass on a board, belly down, and cut along the backbone from head to tail, opening the fish flat like a book without cutting through the belly. Snip out the backbone with kitchen scissors if you can, and make 3 shallow diagonal slits on each side of the flesh so the marinade can sink in. Pat the fish dry inside and out.
Ask the fishmonger to butterfly the fish for you if you are unsure — the cut must run along the backbone, not the belly, or the fish will not lie flat.
Done when: Fish lying flat and open, skin side down, with clean slits on both sides.
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2
Blend the Marinade and Marinate the Fish
20 Mins
Rest in the fridge at 4°C (39°F)
Put the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, cumin, black pepper, ground coriander, chilli powder, 1 chopped green chilli and the fresh coriander in a blender with 4 g of the salt and blend to a chunky green paste. Rub the paste all over the fish, inside and out, working it into the slits, then leave the fish in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Do not marinate for longer than 30 minutes — the lemon juice will start to firm and whiten the surface of the fish, as in ceviche.
Done when: Fish evenly coated in a green, garlicky paste, smelling of lemon and cumin.
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3
Chop and Toss the Vegetable Topping
10 Mins
No heat — room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
While the fish marinates, chop the tomato into small pieces, slice the onion into thin half-moons, grate the carrot finely and slice the remaining green chilli and the lemon into thin rounds. Put them all in a bowl with 2 g of the salt and a few spoonfuls of the leftover marinade and toss to combine.
Grate the carrot finely, not coarsely — fine shreds soften in the oven and cling to the fish, while thick pieces stay raw and fall off.
Done when: A bright, even mix of tomato, onion, grated carrot, chilli and lemon, lightly coated in marinade.
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4
Cover the Fish with the Topping
5 Mins
Oven preheating to 200°C (400°F)
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lay the marinated fish skin side down on a lightly oiled oven tray, opening each one flat. Spoon the vegetable topping over the fish in an even layer, covering the whole surface right up to the edges, and tuck the lemon rounds among the vegetables.
Do not pile the topping in the middle — an even layer cooks at the same speed as the fish, so the vegetables soften just as the fish turns opaque.
Done when: Fish completely hidden under an even blanket of vegetables, with no bare flesh showing.
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5
Grill the Fish with the Topping on Top
18 Mins
200°C (400°F)
Slide the tray into the hot oven and grill-bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the topping has softened and browned at the edges and the thickest part of the fish flakes easily, is opaque throughout and reaches 63°C (145°F) inside. Check after 12 minutes so the topping does not burn.
If the topping browns too fast, lay a loose sheet of foil over the tray for the last few minutes — the fish underneath keeps cooking while the top rests.
Done when: Opaque white flesh that flakes in clean layers, with the topping soft, glossy and lightly browned at the edges.
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6
Rest and Serve
5 Mins
Rest at room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Take the tray out of the oven and rest the fish for 5 minutes so the juices settle back into the flesh. Lift each fish onto a serving plate with a wide fish slice, spooning any topping that slipped off back on top, and serve at once.
Serve the fish straight from the tray if you can — moving a whole butterflied fish is the moment it is most likely to break apart.
Done when: Fish holding together on the plate, steaming, with the red topping still in place.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the fish for 5 minutes, then carry the whole tray to the table and serve each person half a fish with a generous spoonful of the cooked topping, as in the photo. Serve at once, while the fish is still steaming and the topping is hot.
Egypt
1h 15m
