Baked Sea Bass with Lemongrass and Ginger

• whole sea bass↗1

  (about 1.4 kg/3 lb), gutted and cleaned

• lemongrass stalks↗3

  cut diagonally into 2.5 cm pieces

• small chilies↗2

  halved

• garlic cloves↗2

  cut in half

• piece of fresh ginger↗3 cm

  peeled and sliced into thin strips

• liquid honey↗1 tsp
• olive oil↗2 tbsp
• limes↗2
• lime leaves2

  (if needed use a few strips of lime zest if leaves are unavailable)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven: fan 180 °C, conventional 200 °C, gas 6. Rinse the sea bass inside and out, pat dry with a paper towel. Score the flesh and skin 4‑5 times on each side, then place it on a large sheet of foil, large enough to wrap it loosely.

2. 2

   Place the lemongrass stalks, chilies, garlic and ginger in a mortar, add honey and 1 tbsp oil. Squeeze the juice of one lime. Pound into a coarse paste a few times until the ingredients soften—no need to finely mince.

3. 3

   Season the fish inside and out. Spread half of the resulting mixture over the fish, add the remaining oil and rub it in, pushing some of the mixture into the slashes.

4. 4

   Cut the second lime into four pieces and place two pieces into the cavity together with the remaining mixture. Fold each lime leaf in half, cut out the central vein, yielding two halves, and also place them into the cavity.

5. 5

   Squeeze the juice from the remaining two quarters of lime over the fish, lift the sides of the foil forming a loose packet. Seal the edges, leaving a little space around the fish.

6. 6

   Bake for 25 minutes. If you plan to eat the fish immediately, let it rest about 5 minutes before opening the packet. If taking it to a picnic, wrap it in another layer of foil right after removing from the oven.