BBQ Sea Bass with Orange

Summer is here and it’s time to get the BBQ out!

To be totally honest with you, it’s not really prime orange season (that’s late winter / early spring here in the UK & Ireland), but this recipe is so delicious - it’s such a lovely combination I felt I could make an exception!

I also want to highlight the joy (and economy) of buying whole sea bass from your local fish monger. We got 4 sea bass from Ewings (in Belfast) and it was £12. I know that’s a lot of money, but for a really special meal it was worth every penny - and of course it’s much cheaper than buying filleted fish.

Serves 4 (generously)

4 whole, gutted sea bass
zest of 1 orange, then slice up the orange
olive oil and salt & pepper

1. Wash the fish out if necessary, then score the skin. Rub olive oil over the skin, then season the inside and outside of the fish with salt, pepper and orange zest. Leave them to one side while you prep the BBQ.

2. Heat up your BBQ. When it’s nice at hot, slice up your orange and place them on the grill. The idea is that you place your fish on the slices of orange to avoid the skin sticking to the grill.

3. Lay your seasoned fish onto the orange slices on the grill. Once the skin is brown and crispy (watch carefully - it won’t take long) very carefully turn the fish over. This may be tricky so take it slow and be careful!

4. Cook the other side of the fish. If you have a meat thermometer you can check when the fish is cooked - you are aiming for 60*C as a minimum throughout.

5. Try not to overcook! And then carefully remove the fish from the BBQ and eat straight away with a beetroot, orange and caper salad.

An eating tip! There are lots of small bones in your whole fish. I recommend carefully eating the upper side of the fish, leaving all the bone in place. Then carefully lift the whole skeleton from the tail end. Almost all the bones will lift off the other side of the fish leaving a beautiful bone-free fillet on your plate. Enjoy!