Sea bass in foil represents a different way of cooking larger fish, which, if whole, require long cooking times and thus risk becoming a bit dry or, worse, undercooked.
Instead, by closing the sea bass (or amberjack, bream, mackerel, salmon) in a foil packet, you will get a fish with very fragrant and tender flesh since this method preserves all its juices and nutritional values, minimizing the addition of fats. I often add the oil only at the moment of serving.
Each bite will be tender and juicy, but most importantly, healthy.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 295.60 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 5.03 (g) of which sugars 3.44 (g)
- Proteins 50.25 (g)
- Fat 8.32 (g) of which saturated 2.05 (g)of which unsaturated 3.05 (g)
- Fibers 1.64 (g)
- Sodium 582.44 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 360 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4 sea bass (about 0.66 lbs each)
- 2 lemons
- 6 cloves garlic
- 4 leaves bay leaf (whole)
- 12 sprigs parsley
- 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper (or chili pepper)
- to taste oregano
Tools
- Baking sheet for oven
- Kitchen scissors
- Cutting board
- Knife for cutting vegetables
Preparation
On a cutting board with a knife for vegetables, prepare a chop of parsley and garlic, add salt, pepper or chili pepper, oregano to taste.
With your hands, break the bay leaves in half and prepare for each fish 4 half slices of lemon, inserting 2 into the belly and placing 2 on one of the two outer sides of the fish.
Wash the sea bass already gutted and with scissors cut the fins near the gills, the fins located on the back and belly, and finally the tail.
Then prepare 4 sheets of aluminum foil, whose length should be equal to the length of each fish, plus enough margin to close the packet on each side.
You can estimate an extra four/five fingers in total compared to the length of the fish to be wrapped.
Place a smaller sheet of parchment paper on the aluminum foil, just large enough to cover the fish.
It is used to prevent the lemon acid from coming into contact with the aluminum.
Place the fish in the center of the parchment paper, fill its belly with the chop, a broken bay leaf, two lemon slices, and a drizzle of oil.
Oil is optional; in fact, when I want a very light fish, I omit it and add it raw at the moment of serving, the result is still excellent and certainly healthier.
The chop with parsley, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, the bay leaf, and the two half lemon slices should also be placed on one of the two outer sides of the fish.
Close the packet on three sides as in the , leaving only a small opening that will act as a vent during cooking to let out excess steam.
Place the 4 packets on the oven baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 356 degrees Fahrenheit, in the middle part for about 50 minutes.
Halfway through cooking, change the position of the fish, making it rest on the side previously facing up.
To ensure the fish is well-cooked, since cooking times vary depending on the size of the fish and the heat produced by your oven, carefully open a packet and, inserting a fork into the belly, lift a fish fillet to check that, where the fish is thickest, the flesh detaches easily and there are no traces of blood.
If you do it carefully, the aesthetics of the fish will not suffer at all, and you will be sure to bring perfectly cooked fish to the table.
If upon your examination it is still a little raw, close the foil again and continue cooking.
You can serve your sea bass directly in the packet, so each guest can open their own.
Drizzle the fish with cooking juice, squeezed lemon, and oil.
Decorate with lemon, parsley, and if you like, with chopped chili pepper.
Storage
Store in the fridge well sealed for one day.
Other main dishes by Minu
Stuffed Light Eggplant Cutlets, Stuffed Peppers with Sausage, Anchovy Pie, Meatballs in Lemon Leaves, Zucchini Boats and Roast Rabbit.
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