Whole Chilli And Lemongrass Sea Bream Recipes

WHOLE CHILLI AND LEMONGRASS SEA BREAM

Steps:

• Put the marinade ingredients in a food processor and whizz to a smooth paste.
• Put the sea breams in a large bowl or roasting tray and pour over the marinade, making sure they are well covered, both inside and out.
• Leave to marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
• When you're ready to cook, heat the barbecue to medium-high (or for oven cooking, see below).
• Tear 2 sheets of foil big enough to enclose a whole fish and lay them slightly overlapping.
• Lay 8 lemongrass halves in the centre, put a fish on top with half the marinade from the dish and season well.
• Bring each side of the foil up, scrunching together to make a tight seal.
• Repeat with the other sea bream.
• Cook directly on the coals for 25-30 minutes with the lid down until cooked through.

BAKED SEA BASS WITH LEMONGRASS & GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 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.
• Put the lemongrass, chillies, garlic and ginger into a mortar with the honey and 1 tbsp of the oil. Squeeze in the juice of one of the limes. Bash a few times with the pestle until everything's bruised - there's no need to grind it finely.
• Season the fish inside and out. Scrape out half the pounded mixture over the fish, add the last of the oil and rub everything in, making sure you push some into the cuts.
• Cut the second lime into quarters and push two pieces into the cavity along with the remainder of the pounded mixture. Fold each kaffir lime leaf in half and tear out the central vein to give you two halves. Push these into the cavity, too.
• Squeeze the juice from the last two lime quarters over the fish and 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 25 minutes. If you're eating the fish straight away, let it rest for about 5 minutes before opening the parcel. If you're taking it to a picnic, wrap it in another layer of foil the minute it's out of the oven.

BARBECUED BREAM WITH SPRING ONIONS, LEMON & CHILLI

Steps:

• Light the barbecue. Season the inside of the bream and stuff with the onion and lemon slices.
• When the coals are ashen, carefully spread them out in a circle about 30cm in diameter. For the topping, put the spring onions, garlic, whole chillies and lemon halves, cut-side down, onto the grill. Cook for 10-12 mins, turning halfway through, until the veg starts to colour and soften.
• Rub a little of the olive oil over the outside of the fish and lay on the grill. Do this carefully, as the oil on the fish skin may start to catch and burn.
• Remove the veg and lemons from the grill. Finely chop the spring onions and chillies (remove the seeds if you don't want it to be too hot), tip into a bowl and squeeze the garlic from its skin. Squeeze over the barbecued lemon and drizzle with the rest of the oil.
• After 8-10 mins, carefully turn the fish using tongs and a fish slice, if needed to prevent it breaking apart. Cook for another 8 mins, then check the fish is cooked through by pulling a piece of skin away - the flesh should be opaque.
• When the fish is ready, remove to a serving plate and pour over the veg topping. Season and serve with the new potatoes. For children, flake the fish onto plates, checking for bones as you do.