This is a great interactive sharing dish; stuff pieces of fish into the lettuce leaves (fresh corn tortillas are great too), top with the herbs and dipping sauce and let it trickle down your wrists as you eat with your hands. You’ll need four tangerines and two limes in total for this recipe.
SERVES 2
INGREDIENTS
1 x 800g sea bass, at room temperature
2 stalks of fresh rosemary
40g spring onions (about 4 thin ones) fine salt
1 baby gem lettuce, leaves separated
5g fresh mint leaves
5g fresh coriander leaves
5g fresh basil leaves
lime wedges
Citrus Butter:
40g unsalted butter
30g olive oil
1 tablespoons tangerine juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
3 cloves of garlic, skin left on and crushed
with the side of a knife
1 teaspoon fine salt
About 20 twists of freshly ground
black pepper
Tangerine Dipping Sauce:
11⁄2 teaspoons pul biber (use red bell pepper flakes if you don’t like heat)
1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped
1⁄4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger % teaspoon tomato purée/paste
% teaspoon fine salt
1 tablespoons mild and light olive oil 40g sweet, ripe cherry tomatoes, such as Datterini, very finely chopped
4 tablespoons tangerine juice
2 teaspoons lime juice
1⁄4 teaspoon fish sauce or light soy sauce
Pat the sea bass with kitchen towel to make sure it’s as dry as possible. Transfer it to a 33 x 28cm non-stick high-sided baking tray, arranging it diagonally so it fits. The tray shouldn’t be much bigger than the fish, otherwise the citrus butter will burn. Use a very sharp knife to make 5 diagonal slits in the fish. Season the cavity with / teaspoon of fine salt, then stuff with the rosemary and spring onions. Put all the ingredients for the citrus butter into a small saucepan and place on a medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour over and around the fish. Bake for 14 minutes (or longer if your fish is larger than 800g), then baste the fish well and turn the oven to the highest grill setting. Grill on the top shelf of the oven for 4-8 minutes, or until the skin begins to bubble and crisp. (Keep a close eye, as some grills are much hotter than others.) While the fish is cooking, make the tangerine dipping sauce. Put the pul biber, garlic, ginger, tomato purée/paste and fine salt into a mortar and pound with a pestle to a rough paste. Heat the oil in a small saucepan on a medium heat for 1 minute, then pour the hot oil into the mortar. Stir together, then add the chopped tomatoes, tangerine juice, lime juice and fish sauce. Once cooked, transfer the sea bass to a large platter with the browned citrus utter. Discard the garlic skins. Serve with the lettuce and soft herbs to make parcels with, and the dipping sauce and lime wedges alongside.
