Ingredients
- 2 whole sea bass
- 2 limes
- 1 shallot
- 1 red chili pepper
- 3 lime leaves (use lime peels instead if you can’t find the leaves)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 3 cm fresh ginger root
- olive oil
Would you rather not clean the sea bass yourself? Ask your fish monger to do it for you!

Kitchen equipment needed
- Cutting board & chef’s knife
- Filleting knife
- Blender or mortar
- An oven
- Tin foil
- Baking dish

Cleaning the sea bass — 15 minutes
As fish have scales on their skin, you’ll need to remove those before cooking. While cleaning, the scales can jump around and so it can get messy. Therefore I’ve decided to put my sea bass in the kitchen sink so it’s easier to clean up afterwards. Be careful when the fish has sharp fins, most fishes can cut your hand easily. Use the back of your knife and go against the scales. For a good grip, grab the tail of the fish with a clean towel. Clean the fish with running cold water and check to see if all of the scales have been removed.
CUT lengthwise into the fish its stomach and remove all its entrails. Again clean the fish carefully under running cold water. Pat the sea bass dry with a kitchen towel. Now the fish is ready to use!

Preparing the sea bass with lemongrass and ginger — 5 minutes
QUICKLY blend the lemon grass, olive oil, ginger root, red chili pepper, garlic cloves and shallot until a rough mixture has been formed. Usually you’ll just use the pulse setting for 2 or 3 times. SCORE (cut) across the fish and trough the skin about 4 to 5 times each side. Fully coat the sea bass using this mixture using your hands, outside and inside. SQUEEZE the juice from 1 lime over each fish to make it more fresh.
SLICE the second lime into quarters and place two pieces inside each fish. PRE-HEAT your oven to a temperature of 180 degrees celsius or 350 degrees fahrenheit. HALVE each lime leaf and push these inside the dish too, one leaf per fish. WRAP both fish in tinfoil loosely.
Cooking time — 25 minutes
Simply cook the sea bass for about 25 minutes, and let cool off for about 5 minutes before eating. If you’re planning on eating the fish later on, keep them covered in tin foil and refrigerate up to 6 hours tops. These sea bass with lemongrass and ginger go great with a variety of rice, baked potatoes or plain ol’ pasta, enjoy!
How delicious!! Love the play on words :)
Thanks! Yeah, we had fun with it too haha!
Wow very tasty pic
Thank you!