Whole Roasted Sea Bass

Whole Roasted Sea Bass
Recipe courtesy Sam Hayward of Fore Street
Serves 2

Two 1 1/4 pound whole sea bass, gutted, gilled, scaled, and fins removed
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
Juice of 1 lemon

Season the cavity and exterior of fish with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a baking dish just large enough to hold fish without crowding lightly with oil. Divide thyme, rosemary, and parsley evenly between each fish, and place inside cavity. Place 2 bay leaves in cavity of each fish, and place remaining 2 bay leaves in baking dish. Sprinkle scallions over and around fish; drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer to oven and roast 15 minutes. Continue to roast, checking every few minutes, until the thickest part of the fish is just firm, about 5 minutes more.

Drizzle fish with lemon juice and transfer to a cutting board; set baking dish aside. Working from the head to the tail, cut along backbone to separate the flesh from the bone. Carefully lift top fillet and transfer to a plate. Lift and discard bones. Gently lift second fillet to same plate. Repeat process with remaining fish. Drizzle with any pan juices before serving.

 

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