Description
Delight in this flavorful Sea Bass recipe featuring crispy skin, sizzled ginger, chili, and spring onions. Perfectly pan-fried to achieve a golden, crunchy exterior while maintaining tender, moist flesh. Enhanced with aromatic garlic, fresh chillies, and a splash of soy sauce for a delicious Asian-inspired dish ideal for special occasions or a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Fish
- 6 sea bass fillets, about 140g/5oz each, skin on and scaled
- Salt and pepper, to season
- About 3 tbsp sunflower oil
Aromatics & Sauce
- Large knob of ginger, peeled and shredded into matchsticks
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 fat, fresh red chillies, deseeded and thinly shredded
- Bunch of spring onion, shredded long-ways
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the fish: Season the sea bass fillets generously with salt and pepper. Make three diagonal slashes across the skin side of each fillet to help them cook evenly and crisp up.
- Fry the fish skin-side down: Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, carefully place the fillets skin-side down. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is very crisp and golden and the fish is nearly cooked through.
- Flip and cook briefly: Turn each fillet over and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute to finish cooking. Remove the fish from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Keep warm. Repeat the frying process with the remaining fish, adding more oil if needed.
- Sizzle the aromatics: Using the same frying pan, add the remaining sunflower oil and heat it. Add the shredded ginger, sliced garlic, and shredded chillies. Fry the mixture for about 2 minutes or until the ingredients become golden and fragrant.
- Finish with spring onions and soy sauce: Remove the pan from heat and immediately toss in the shredded spring onions. Splash the fried fish fillets with a little soy sauce, then spoon the sizzling ginger, chili, garlic, and spring onion mixture over the tops of the fillets before serving.
Notes
- For sustainability, opt for line-caught sea bass when purchasing.
- You can cook the fish with the head and tail on for a traditional Chinese New Year presentation symbolizing abundance.
- Slashing the skin prevents the fillets from curling up and helps achieve a crispy texture.
- Adjust the amount of chili to control the heat according to your preference.
- Serve immediately to enjoy the crisp skin and fresh aromatics at their best.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: sea bass, pan-fried fish, crispy fish skin, ginger, chilli, spring onions, Chinese cuisine, seafood recipe
