Description
A delicious and vibrant Sea Bass dish featuring crispy skin, sizzled ginger, fiery chili, and fresh spring onions, finished with a splash of soy sauce. This quick stovetop recipe captures the traditional flavors often celebrated during Chinese New Year, symbolizing abundance and good fortune.
Ingredients
Scale
Fish
- 6 x sea bass fillets, about 140g/5oz each, skin on and scaled
- Salt and pepper, to season
- About 3 tbsp sunflower oil
Flavourings
- 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 onions, shredded long-ways
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Season and prepare the fish: Season the sea bass fillets with salt and pepper. Make three diagonal slashes on the skin side of each fillet, ensuring they do not cut too deep.
- Cook the fish skin-side down: Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil. When the oil is hot, place half the fillets skin-side down in the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until the skin is very crisp and golden, and the fish is nearly cooked through.
- Flip and finish cooking: Turn the fillets over and cook the other side for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the fish carefully and transfer to a serving plate. Keep warm. Repeat this process with the remaining fillets, using the remaining oil.
- Sizzle the aromatics: In the same pan, add the remaining sunflower oil if needed, then add the shredded ginger, sliced garlic, and shredded red chillies. Fry for about 2 minutes until the mixture turns golden and fragrant.
- Add spring onions and finish: Remove the pan from the heat, then toss in the shredded spring onions. Immediately splash the cooked sea bass with soy sauce and spoon over the cooked ginger, chili, garlic, and spring onion mixture. Serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- For a more authentic presentation, serve the sea bass whole with head and tail intact as done during Chinese New Year celebrations.
- Line-caught sea bass is recommended for sustainability; ask your fishmonger or supermarket.
- Adjust chilli quantity based on your heat preference.
- Using a heavy-based frying pan helps achieve the crispiest skin.
- Be careful not to overcook the fish; skin should be crispy and flesh tender.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: sea bass, ginger, chilli, spring onions, Chinese New Year, crispy fish, stovetop fish, quick seafood recipe
