Baked Sea Bass

Baked sea bass is a healthy and tasty dish, perfect for an elegant dinner or a special meal. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 whole cleaned sea bass (about 400-600 g)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon
• 1 handful of chopped parsley (optional)
• Potatoes (optional, if you want to make a side dish)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Wash the sea bass under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Make several oblique cuts on the sides of the fish to help with cooking.
3. Season the inside and outside of the sea bass with salt and pepper.
4. Slice the lemon into thin slices and insert some of them into the fish with the peeled garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary and thyme.
5. Grease a baking dish with extra virgin olive oil and place the sea bass in it. If you wish, you can add around it some potatoes cut into wedges, previously seasoned with oil, salt, and rosemary.
6. Drizzle the sea bass with a stream of extra virgin olive oil and cover it with more baking paper (or use aluminum foil if you prefer a moist cooking).
7. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish, or until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
8. Remove the sea bass from the oven and let it rest for a couple of minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and the remaining lemon slices, if desired.

Curiosity

Sea bass is cherished in Mediterranean cuisine for its delicate white flesh. In Italy, it is common to find this fish baked whole, but also in fillets or used in soups and risottos. Remember that cooking time can vary depending on the size of the fish, so it is always a good practice to check the doneness.

Enjoy your meal!