Lebanese recipe for sea bass

Sea bass with vegetables cooked in a cheesecloth

Ingredients

• 1 whole large sea bass (~1kg), gutted & scaled
• 2 potatoes, cut in wedges
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• a handful of walnuts, broken
• a handful of pine nuts, slightly roasted
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 chili pepper, chopped
• 2 handfuls cilantro, finely chopped
• 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• juice from 1 lemon
• salt & pepper

Cooking instructions

1. Rinse the fish and dry with a paper towel.
2. In a baking pan spread the potatoes, carrot, onion, celery and 1 handful of cilantro.
3. Pour half the lemon juice, half the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 15’.
5. In the meantime, carve the fish on each side and pour the remaining lemon juice over. Season with salt and pepper and place on a piece of wet cheesecloth.
6. Mix the nuts, garlic, chili pepper and the remaining olive oil. Fill the fish stomach cavity with the mix. Sprinkle the remaining cilantro over the fish and tie in the cheesecloth with a knot.
7. Once the vegetables have been cooking for 15’, uncover the pan, move the vegetables to the sides and place the fish in the middle. Bake for an additional 45’.

         Serve while still warm.