Recipe for April’s fish focus - Rick Stein’s Cornwall: Whole Seabass with Garlic and Ginger

Our fish focus for April is Seabass.

Seabass was one of the first fish to be grown in fish farms in Europe. As they love estuaries and coastal waters, they thrived in early attempts to rear them in coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean.
They are highly mobile, migrating inshore in summer months when they are found in estuaries and surprisingly far upstream in rivers. In the winter months they move offshore and then in spring will gather in large shoals to spawn.
They feed on crustaceans and small fish such as sand eels. Estuaries are also an important nursery habitat for juvenile seabass, where the sheltered conditions and plentiful food supply make for a great place to grow.
They are particularly slow growing and don't reach sexual maturity until the age of 4-8 years old.

Here is a fantastic recipe from Rick Stein. Give it a go and let us know.

Whole Seabass with Garlic, Ginger and Spring Onion by Rick Stein

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Put the fish into a steamer/fish kettle on a rack with about 1cm depth of water or on a rack in a roasting tin and sprinkle over the ginger. Cover with a lid or foil and steam for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Lift the fish onto a warmed serving platter, scatter over the spring onions and keep warm.
Pour about 5 tablespoons of the cooking juices into a small pan and add the soy sauce. Bring up to the boil and pour over the fish.
Heat the sesame oil in a small pan. Add the garlic, fry for a few seconds, then pour over the fish.
To serve, cut along the back and behind the head and across the tail then cut along the lateral line down the side and carefully slice the fish off the bone. Lift out the back bone and portion the second fillet in the same way as the first. Plate up with rice.