Sea Bass Taco

This week’s newsletter is an admittedly short one. I’m currently in the wonderful bubble of newborn fatherhood and all my attention is on our beautiful new arrival. I have however given you the recipe for a delicious sea bass tacos that are perfect for my current situation as they’re incredibly quick but very delicious.

Sea Bass Tacos

Ingredients:

Fish:

• Paprika - 1tsp

• Ground Cumin - 1 tsp

• Ground Coriander - 1 tsp

• Sumac - 1 tsp

• Salt - ½ tsp

• Olive oil - 2 tbsp

• Sea bass whole - 2

Salsa:

• Tomatoes - 3 (diced)

• Shallots or onion - 1 (diced)

• Lime juice - from 1 lime

• Salt - ¼ tsp

• Black pepper - a good few cracks

• Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Guacamole:

• Avocado - 2 (ripe)

• Lime - 1

• Salt - ¼ tsp

• Chilli flakes - ¼ or ½ tsp

To serve:

• Small tortilla wraps - 6-8

1. Make the salsa by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well.

2. Remove the avocado flesh from the skin (cut it in half, remove the stone, then scoop out the flesh). Place it in a pestle and mortar and bash to a paste or place in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. Add the juice of a lime, a good sprinkle of salt and chilli flakes to taste. Mix well.

3. Next, make the marinade for the fish. Combine paprika, cumin, coriander, sumac, salt and olive oil in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

4. Butterfly the sea bass:

   1. Place the fish on the board with the belly facing away from you. Use a sharp knife and cut along the midline of the underside, just above the bone. Glide the knife along the bones (you may need to add a bit more force to get through the pin bones). Use long, smooth strokes until you reach the top of the fish but do not go all the way though. Turn it over and repeat so the two bellies of meat are separated from the bone but attached at the top.

   2. Make a firm cut behind the fin that sits behind the head to separate the head from the body.

   3. Prise the back bone away from the fish carefully without tearing the skin OR use a pair of scissors to cut the bone close to the flesh. Cut the skeleton where it meets the tail.

   4. Remove pin bones with tweezers and glide your knife under the bones of the ribcage to remove them too.

5. I cooked my sea bass in a pizza oven but you can replicate this technique under the grill of an oven too. Place the grill on high heat. Place the butterflied sea bass, skin side down, on a heat proof tray. Brush the flesh with the marinade and place under the grill for 5 minutes until cooked through.

6. To serve, heat up the wraps as instructed on the packaging, top with guac, salsa and chunks of fish.