Brown butter sea bass with tangerine dipping sauce and lots of herbs
This brown butter sea bass dish is a brilliant way to make the most of tangerines’ floral fragrance. It comes together very quickly, and is perfect for a light supper. The baked sea bass can be eaten with baby lettuce and herbs or soft corn tortillas. The spicy tangerine dipping sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Extracted from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage (Ebury Press, £26) All photography by Yuki Sugiura.
Ingredients
Sea bass
- 1 sea bass , (around 800g, and at room temperature)
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 40g of spring onions , (about 4 thin ones)
- 1/4 fine salt
Citrus butter
- 40g of unsalted butter
- 30g of olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp of tangerine juice
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves , skin left on and crushed with the side of a knife
- 1 tsp fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste, (about 20 twists of the mill)
Tangerine dipping sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp pul biber chilli flakes , (use red bell pepper flakes if you don’t like heat)
- 1 small garlic clove , finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp finely grated ginger
- 3/4 tomato purée
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp of mild olive oil
- 40g of datterini tomatoes , or other very ripe cherry tomatoes, very finely chopped
- 4 tbsp of tangerine juice
- 2 tsp lime juice
- fish sauce to season, or light soy sauce
To serve
- 1 baby gem lettuce , leaves separated
- 5g of fresh mint leaves
- 5g of coriander leaves
- 5g of basil leaves
- 4 lime wedges , to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6
Pat the sea bass with kitchen towel to make sure it’s as dry as possible
- 1 sea bass , (around 800g, and at room temperature)
Transfer the sea bass to a 33 x 26cm non-stick high-sided baking tray, arranging it diagonally, so it fits. The tray shouldn’t be much bigger than the fish, otherwise the citrus butter will burn. Season the cavity with ¼ teaspoon of fine salt, then stuff with the rosemary and spring onions
- 1/4 fine salt
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- 40g of spring onions , (about 4 thin ones)
Put all the ingredients for the citrus butter into a small saucepan and place on a medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour over and around the fish
- 40g of unsalted butter
- 30g of olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp of tangerine juice
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves , skin left on and crushed with the side of a knife
- 1 tsp fine salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste, (about 20 twists of the mill)
Bake for 14 minutes (or longer if your fish is larger than 800g)
Baste the fish well and turn the oven to the highest grill setting. Grill on the top shelf of the oven for 4–6 minutes, or until the skin begins to bubble and crisp. Keep a close eye, as some grills are much hotter than others
While the fish is cooking, make the tangerine dipping sauce. Put the pul biber, garlic, ginger, tomato purée/paste and fine salt into a mortar and pound with a pestle to a rough paste
- 1 1/2 tsp pul biber chilli flakes , (use red bell pepper flakes if you don’t like heat)
- 1 small garlic clove , finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp finely grated ginger
- 3/4 tomato purée
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
Heat the oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat for 1 minute, then pour the hot oil into the mortar
- 1 1/2 tbsp of mild olive oil
Stir together, then add the chopped tomatoes, tangerine juice, lime juice and fish sauce
- 40g of datterini tomatoes , or other very ripe cherry tomatoes, very finely chopped
- 4 tbsp of tangerine juice
- 2 tsp lime juice
- fish sauce to season, or light soy sauce
Once cooked, transfer the sea bass to a large platter with the browned citrus butter. Discard the garlic skins
Serve with the lettuce and soft herbs to make parcels with, and the dipping sauce and lime wedges alongside
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Brown butter sea bass with tangerine dipping sauce and lots of herbs
