A wonderfully fragrant dish that is easy to prepare

Ingredients

  • 4 whole sea bass, about 500g (1lb 2oz) each (not overly large), cleaned and gutted
  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 12 sprigs of tarragon
  • 12 sprigs of coriander (cilantro)
  • 3 kg (13. cups) rock (kosher) salt
  • 4 egg whites
  • grated rind of 2 lemons
  • olive oil, for drizzling
  • For the papillote of vegetables:
  • 2 (bell) peppers (use a mix of red and green), deseeded and thinly sliced
  • 2 red onions, thinly sliced
  • 5 mm fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 1 lime, thinly sliced
  • salt and black pepper
  • 300 ml white wine
  • 100 ml fish stock

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 190oC/375oF/gas mark 5.
  • Place the sea bass in a dish and insert the lemon slices, tarragon and coriander sprigs into the cavities.
  • In a bowl, mix the salt, egg whites and lemon rind to make a paste.
  • Set a baking sheet on your work surface and spread out a layer of the salt paste.
  • Lay the sea bass onto the salt, drizzle a little oil over the fish and cover with the remaining salt. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the fish for 20–25 minutes (depending on its size).
  • For the papillote of vegetables, mix the thinly sliced vegetables in a bowl with some seasoning.
  • Place the vegetables in the middle of a large square of non-stick baking paper on a baking sheet and drizzle with the wine and stock. Close up into a parcel or package and bake with the sea bass for 15 minutes.

Notes

Kevin says, "This wonderfully fragrant dish is very easy to prepare, as is the parcel of vegetables accompanying it. Make the dish with the fish heads removed, if you feel they won’t endear themselves to your guests."