Smoked sea bass with cockles and samphire
You don't need a barbecue for this simple sea bass recipe, but cooking over fire will add layers of smoky flavour to the fish
From Nigel Webster, founder of Cut to the Smoke, shares his recipe for smoked sea bass with cockles and samphire
Serves 2
For the smoked sea bass:
- Sea bass 2, gutted and prepared
- Olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Unwaxed lemons 3, 1 sliced, 2 halved
For the samphire and cockles:
- Butter 20g
- Samphire 70g
- Cockles 1 jar, drained
- Sourdough bread to serve, sliced
- For the smoked sea bass: light the barbecue and heat until the coals turn white.
- Generously oil the inside and outside of the fish, then score the skin three times on each side. Salt the inside and outside, rubbing it into the scores on the skin. Place 2-3 slices of lemon in each fi sh.
- Place the fish in a large fish basket or rack, making sure you don’t squash them.
- Cook over the coals at a distance of 12-15cm for 6-7 minutes with the lid closed. While the fish are cooking, briefly open the lid and squeeze lemon juice over them.
- Turn the fish basket or rack and cook on the other side for a further 6-7 minutes, coating the fish with another squeeze of lemon juice. Remove from the heat and keep warm in foil if not serving immediately.
- For the samphire and cockles: heat the butter in a skillet pan over the coals.
- Once it has melted, add the samphire and cockles. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
- Put a few oiled sourdough slices on the grill to char.
- Serve the fish with a spoonful of the samphire and cockles, and a couple of slices of charred sourdough.
Big fan of barbecue? Check out Cut to the Smoke’s new customisable spice blends here.
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You will need
For the smoked sea bass:
- Sea bass 2, gutted and prepared
- Olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Unwaxed lemons 3, 1 sliced, 2 halved
For the samphire and cockles:
- Butter 20g
- Samphire 70g
- Cockles 1 jar, drained
- Sourdough bread to serve, sliced
Method
- For the smoked sea bass: light the barbecue and heat until the coals turn white.
- Generously oil the inside and outside of the fish, then score the skin three times on each side. Salt the inside and outside, rubbing it into the scores on the skin. Place 2-3 slices of lemon in each fi sh.
- Place the fish in a large fish basket or rack, making sure you don’t squash them.
- Cook over the coals at a distance of 12-15cm for 6-7 minutes with the lid closed. While the fish are cooking, briefly open the lid and squeeze lemon juice over them.
- Turn the fish basket or rack and cook on the other side for a further 6-7 minutes, coating the fish with another squeeze of lemon juice. Remove from the heat and keep warm in foil if not serving immediately.
- For the samphire and cockles: heat the butter in a skillet pan over the coals.
- Once it has melted, add the samphire and cockles. Fry for 3 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
- Put a few oiled sourdough slices on the grill to char.
- Serve the fish with a spoonful of the samphire and cockles, and a couple of slices of charred sourdough.
Big fan of barbecue? Check out Cut to the Smoke’s new customisable spice blends here.
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