Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 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

Instruction

  • 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.