Name: Whole sea bass with mango salsa
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 2 whole sea bass, about 350g each, scaled and gutted; 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to grease (optional); ½ lime, very finely sliced; Coriander stalks (about 10g); 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced; 1 small red onion (about 70g), finely diced; 1 avocado, diced; Juice 1½ limes, plus lime wedges to serve; Bunch coriander (about 35g), leaves and fine stalks roughly chopped; 10 mint leaves, roughly chopped; Good pinch chilli flakes

Whole sea bass with mango salsa

Debora Robertson’s whole sea bass with mango salsa recipe makes a speedy and impressive dinner for two. Serve with salad and potatoes. For an all-in-one fish dish, try our sea bass traybake with peppers, cherry tomatoes and pine nuts.

Dairy-freeGluten-free

Serves2

Hands-on20 min

Oven20 min

DifficultyEasy

Method

To prep the fish, use a sharp knife to make make 3-4 deep slashes in the skin, almost to the bone, on both sides. This will help the fish cook evenly. Line a roasting tin with baking paper, if using, and brush the paper with a little olive oil. Put the fish in the tin and brush them all over with 1 tbsp olive oil, including inside the cavities, then season all over with salt and pepper. Put the lime slices and coriander stalks inside the cavities. Heat the oven to 200°C fan/gas 7.
Mix all the salsa ingredients together and season them well with salt and pepper. Let the salsa sit for the flavours to develop while you cook the fish.
Bake the sea bass for 18-20 minutes – the skin should be a bit blistered and the flesh underneath should be just opaque. Cooking time will depend on the size of the fish, so check early and check often.
Serve with the salsa, lime wedges and perhaps a green salad and/or some kind of potatoes: small, steamed or boiled potatoes, little roast potatoes – or, of course, chips would be wonderful.