Chinese-style Sea Bass
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Recipe serves 2
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Preparation Time
15 min
- Cooking Time
15 min
Ingredients
- A thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger
- 5 spring onions
- ⅓ of a red chilli (optional)
- 75ml Knorr Chicken Stock (made from Knorr Chicken Stock Pot, diluted according to packet instructions)
- 2tbsps olive oil, plus extra for oiling foil
- 25–50ml soy sauce or reduced salt soy sauce (to your taste)
- 9–10 sprigs of fresh coriander
- Small amount of Knorr Fish Stock Cube
- A whole sea bass (1kg approx), scaled and gutted
- 50ml dry white wine
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7.
- First prepare the sauce for the sea bass. Peel and finely chop two-thirds of the root ginger. Cut two of the spring onions into fine, long shreds. Very finely chop a third of the red chilli, starting from the base, rather than the top, to avoid the hot seeds. In a bowl, mix together the chopped ginger, spring onion, chilli, Knorr Chicken Stock and 1 tbsp olive oil. Add in a little soy sauce at a time, tasting as you go, until you’re happy with the flavour. Add in 4 sprigs of fresh coriander and set aside until required.
- I like to season my fish with a Knorr Stock Cube. I think it gives a better flavour than traditional seasoning. Simply crumble a small piece of the Knorr Fish Stock Cube into a small bowl, add in the remaining olive oil and mix together to form a paste, making sure to thoroughly dissolve the stock cube in the olive oil. Using your fingers, spread the paste inside the sea bass and also use the paste to coat the outside of the fish on both sides.
- Take a very large sheet of heavy-duty tin foil and oil one side of it thoroughly with olive oil (this will be the inside of your parcel). Cut each of the remaining spring onions into four pieces, cutting them lengthways and place these in the centre of the oiled side of the foil. Cut the remaining piece of root ginger into 2-3 large slices and place these among the spring onions. Place the sea bass on top of these seasonings.
- Bring the foil up and over the fish and fold it over the fish, carefully and thoroughly folding the foil edges over to form a sealed parcel, taking care not to break the foil as you do so. Leave a little opening at one end of the parcel and carefully pour in 50ml of dry white wine, then seal the parcel well.
- Place the wrapped sea bass on a preheated, large, heavy baking tray. Heat the hot tray with the sea bass parcel on top of the stove for around 2 minutes, in order to start the cooking process. Transfer it to the preheated oven and bake it for 15-20 minutes, during which time the parcel should puff up. To check that the fish has cooked through, carefully feel the top of the parcel; it should be hot to the touch.
- To serve the sea bass, carefully cut the foil parcel in a line along the centre of the top, releasing the steam. Peel back the foil and carefully spoon some of the sauce you made earlier over the fish, garnishing it with 5-6 sprigs of fresh coriander. Serve with the remaining sauce.
- This way of cooking fish works really well with other whole fish, such as trout, or also fish fillets. Try my recipe for Chinese-Style Steamed Cod Fillet.
