Nadiya Hussain’s Whole Citrus Sea Bass
A centrepiece for any dinner party, this citrus coated whole sea bass is a filling and comforting dish.
From the book
Nadiya’s Everyday Baking
95 simple and delicious new recipes as featured in the BBC2 TV show
Moving beyond cookies and cakes, with great baking recipes for every type of day, meal, and occasion
Fun flavour twists offer new takes on classic recipes
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Introduction
Eating fish and fruit together is in my blood. But mostly it takes place in curry form, so here I wanted to create a recipe that has those familiar flavours but not in a curry. This whole large sea bass is cooked with a citrusy-floured coating that acts like a stuffing when baked. It’s perfect served with colourful ribbons of quick-cooked carrots and courgettes. A whole fish cooked at the centre of a table screams special occasion.
Ingredients
| oil, for greasing | |
| 1 x 600–800g | sea bass |
| salt | |
| For the coating: | |
|---|---|
| 1 | orange, juice and zest |
| 1 | lime, juice and zest |
| ½ | lemon, juice and zest |
| 1 | grapefruit, juice only |
| 6 cloves of | garlic |
| 1 tbsp | salt |
| 1 tsp | ground turmeric |
| 1 | onion, roughly chopped |
| 150g, plus a little extra | chickpea flour (gram flour) |
| 100ml | olive oil |
| To serve: | |
| different coloured carrots, ribboned | |
| courgettes, ribboned | |
| ½ | lemon, juice only |
| olive oil | |
| a pinch of | chilli flakes |
| salt and ground black pepper |
Essential kit
You will need: a blender or a food processor.
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 210°C/fan 190°C/ gas mark 6/7 and finding a tray large enough to comfortably lay your very large fish. Trim fins and tail if necessary to make it fit. Lightly grease the entire tray. On a piece of baking paper, lightly season the fish with salt inside and out. Dust the fish with some chickpea flour all over and set aside.
Make the coating by adding the orange, lime, lemon and grapefruit juice and the zest of the orange, lemon and lime to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, salt, turmeric and onion and blitz to a smooth paste.
Add to a bowl, tip in the chickpea flour and mix till you have a mixture that is a smooth paste. Pour in the oil and mix through.
Pop the fish onto the tray and slash the flesh in a few places to help it cook through. Spread the fish with the delicious paste on both sides.
Put into the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Mix the ribboned vegetables with the lemon, olive oil and chilli flakes and season. Set aside to marinate and soften.
Take the fish out and serve with the ribboned colourful veg. I love the crispy bits of baked citrus batter, a little like stuffing but with a difference, totally delicious alongside the tender sea bass.
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