Whole Seabass on the BBQ
A whole sea bass barbecued to perfection makes a great summertime dish. The bones help to add flavour and moisture to the flesh, while the striking grill lines on the glistening skin make the fish wonderfully presentable. You can wrap the whole sea bass in foil prior to cooking – this helps to steam the fish, which keeps the flesh moist, but keep in mind that this method will not produce crispy skin or as much smokiness from the barbecue. We had 8 adults and 3 children and used 4 seabass. I got mine at the local fishmonger’s, it’s a popular fish so you are better off calling and pre-ordering a few days prior. They will gut it, descale it and remove the fins.
Before preparing it for the BBQ run the fish under cold water and make sure all scales are fully removed.
Rub some oil and salt on the fish. Slash the flesh about 3-6 times down both sides of the body – depending on the size of the fish and insert lemon slices and fresh thyme. Stuff the fish with the same to give it that fabulous citrus fresh flavour!
To ensure the fish did not stick to the BBQ I placed slices of lemon and orange on the BBQ and placed the fish on them. This also added extra flavour!
Cook the fish for 6-7 minutes on each side, the fish is cooked when the flesh comes easily away from the bone.
Simply delicious!