Marco Pierre White's whole sea bass with rosemary and thyme recipe

Details

• Cuisine: Mediterranean
• Recipe Type: Main
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Step-by-step

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Make a seasoning paste for the fish: crumble the stock cube into a small bowl. Add in 2tsps olive oil and mix into a paste, then mix in 2tsps chopped rosemary and 2tsps chopped thyme.
2. Pre-heat a good quality roasting tray on top of the hob. Add in 2tbsps olive oil and allow it to heat through.
3. Season the sea bass with around two-thirds of the seasoning paste, spreading it over the top of the fish and inside its cavity. Place the rosemary sprigs within its cavity.
4. Place the sea bass seasoned side-down onto the hot roasting tray and cook for around 5 minutes. As it cooks, spread the remaining seasoning paste over the top side of the sea bass, spreading it evenly. Using this herbed seasoning paste is a great way to add flavour.
5. Turn the sea bass over and sprinkle over the thyme sprigs. Transfer the sea bass (on its roasting tray) into the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes depending on its size.
6. Five minutes before the sea bass has completed roasting, prepare your sauce. Place the coriander seeds in a small pan, add in 100ml olive oil and the lemon juice.
7. The minute the mixture begins to boil, add in the basil leaves and chopped tomatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to overcook the tomatoes.
8. Check the sea bass is cooked through. To do this make a small cut in the thickest part of the fish down to the backbone and look at the flesh. If it's white and opaque, then it's cooked through.
9. Transfer the roast sea bass onto a warm serving platter and spoon the basil and tomato sauce over the fish.
10. Garnish with fresh coriander sprigs and serve at once.