Barbecued sea bass escabeche
This barbecued sea bass escabeche recipe from Marcello Tully is based on a simple Amazonian recipe that uses just a few key ingredients to add delicious sweet and sour flavour to the fish. The term escabeche refers to the acidic mixture which the sea bass is marinated and cooked in – here the acidity comes from citrus fruits with fresh orange and lime juice used in the marinade and tomato sauce. Wrapping the fish in a banana leaf helps to hold in all the flavour while steaming on the barbecue, although tin foil would work just as well.
Ingredients
Barbecued sea bass
- 4 whole sea bass , cleaned and gutted
- 100ml of fresh orange juice
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 4 banana leaves , for cooking (optional)
Tomato sauce
- 500g of tomatoes , skinned and deseeded
- 50g of onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 60g of red pepper , chopped
- 5g of fresh coriander , chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 20ml of lime juice
- 5g of sugar
- 1 dash of sunflower oil
Equipment
- Barbecue
Method
1
To begin, place the sea bass in a shallow dish with the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours
2
After marinating, remove from the fridge and drain the juice into a cup or jug, reserving for use in the sauce
3
Add a dash of sunflower oil to a pan and place over a medium heat. Sweat down the chopped onions and garlic for 2–3 minutes without allowing them to colour, stirring regularly so that they become soft and translucent
- 1 dash of sunflower oil
- 50g of onion , chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
4
Add the chopped tomatoes and pepper to the onions and garlic, along with the coriander, lime juice and sugar. Stir together, then pour in the reserved orange juice from the marinade
- 500g of tomatoes , skinned and deseeded
- 60g of red pepper , chopped
- 5g of fresh coriander , chopped
- 20ml of lime juice
- 5g of sugar
5
Bring the sauce to the boil then remove from the heat and allow to cool while preheating the barbecue
6
Place each sea bass in the centre of a banana leaf (or a large piece of foil) and slash a few times on each side with a sharp knife to help the flavours penetrate while cooking. Spoon over the sauce, dividing equally between the 4 parcels
- 4 banana leaves , for cooking (optional)
7
Wrap the banana leaves around each fish to seal completely. Place on the barbecue grill and cook for 20–25 minutes, turning the parcels over a few times during cooking to ensure the fish cooks through evenly
8
Check the fish is cooked through – it should flake easily and have reached 58–60°C if using a temperature probe. Serve straight from the banana leaf, garnished with a few extra sprigs of coriander
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Barbecued sea bass escabeche
