Name: Whole Baked Sea Bass Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 whole 1.5-1.8kg (3-4lb) sea bass (scaled and gutted); 2 cloves garlic (sliced); 2 lemons (unwaxed/organic, sliced with skins); 2 sprigs fresh lemon thyme; 2 sprigs fresh parsley (stalks and leaves separated); 350 g (12oz/small punnet) cherry tomatoes; 4 large potatoes (waxy/fondant (Charlotte, Monalisa, Orla)); 4 tbsp olive oil

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Easy whole sea bass recipe for entertaining or just a quick, elegant dish. Whole fish is oven baked in a roasting tin with Mediterranean flavours to create a one-sheet healthy dinner.

So simple and yet so yummy: thank you for a lovely recipe Jill

Ben

baked sea bass fish on one baking sheet with potatoes, cherry tomatoes, lemon and herbs

Baked Sea Bass - the 'Bar' is High!

What we love about this recipe is its simplicity. In my humble opinion, baking the fish whole is the best way to cook sea bass, since it preserves its delicate flavours and keeps it tender. Don't forget the lemons, as they concentrate in flavour and become crispy.

Known as 'Bar' in French, Alexandre Dumas had something to say about this fish in his famous Dictionnaire de Cuisine.

Any sea bass over 2-3 kilos is no longer delicate in flavour. I caught one in Trouville weighing 23 kilos; it had lost all of its flavour.

Alexandre Dumas, Dictionnaire de Cuisine (under 'Bar')

whole fish on a roasting tin with baking parchment and skin scored, stuffed with lemon, herbs and surrounded with potatoes and cherry tomatoes

Sea Bream vs Sea Bass

Sea bream and sea bass fish are similar, but their appearances differ. Sea bass is longer and thicker, while sea bream is slimmer.

For baked sea bass, I score the skin and stuff it before roasting to add extra flavour. Sea bream’s skin is better suited for a different preparation, like Bream baked Provençal style in tomato sauce.

whole sea bream fish in a roasting tin topped with lemon slices and surrounded in tomato sauce, garlic and potatoes — Sea bream is similar to sea bass but much slimmer - and best baked

Mediterranean Fish Recipes

Both sea bass and sea bream pair well with flavours of garlic, tomato and herbs.

If you love Mediterranean fish recipes, try these roasted fresh sardines, stuffed with lemon and breadcrumbs. They're absolutely delicious served with a Provençal rosé from Bandol (post coming!) Likewise, in a one-pot dish, try this monkfish stew, known as lotte à l'américaine.

For more Mediterranean-style tomato recipes,
see the guide to tomatoes.

whole baked sea bass cut through the middle to the bone, showing its delicate fish meat

Whole Sea Bass Recipe

When serving from the oven, use a sharp pie slice and knife to gently cut through to the bone and lift the fish off for each person.

sea bass fish laid whole on a baking dish with potatoes, cherry tomatoes and herbs

To prepare the fish, wash and pat it dry.

Lay it on a large roasting tin on baking parchment. Avoid using aluminium foil for baking, as it can contaminate food when combined with lemon (see the National Library of Medicine).

Rub the sea bass with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

removing parsley leaves from the stalks before stuffing a whole sea bass fish

Score the skin 3-4 times on top of the fish and stuff each cavity with thyme, garlic and a lemon slice.
Stuff the fish with 3 lemon slices, the remaining garlic, and parsley stalks.
Reserve the parsley leaves for decoration, to preserve their vitamin C content.

For more, see the guide to aromatic fresh herbs
and potatoes for best varieties.

Surround the fish with roughly chopped potatoes, cherry tomatoes, the rest of the thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Dribble over the remaining olive oil and bake for 20-25 minutes.

plate of prepared fluffy sea bass fish with roasted tomatoes, potatoes, lemon and sauteed green beans

How to Serve

This delicate sea bass recipe can be served as is with its Mediterranean flavours. Alternatively, it pairs well with sautéed green beans with garlic or a simple green salad.

Wine Pairing: This dish pairs well with a full-bodied chilled French white Burgundy Chardonnay, such as Chablis or Mersault. From the Rhône, Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph also pair with the delicate fish. New World younger Chilean Chardonnays, as well as those from California and South Africa, are good options.