12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass

Sticky Asian Sea Bass – Soft, flaky fish with a sweet & spicy flavour kick. Ready in 12 minutes!!

Just look at that soft and flaky fall-apart fish.

Who needs a plate? I could just eat this straight off the baking tray!!

Glazed with a salty, sticky chilli sauce it goes perfectly with some fluffy white rice or even some vegetable ribbons, like the ones I serve with my Thai fish cakes.

I’ve got a bit of a thing for sticky glazes lately.  I swear that if I came back in another life as an insect, i’d be one of those annoying wasps that hangs around the sticky puddle of ice cream on the floor.
No idea where that came from.  Sorry, the sugar must be going to my brain.

Just wait till you see my sticky Chinese belly pork recipe next week though……

Now Sea Bass.
I love this stuff.  Soft and delicate, yet totally versatile.  It tastes amazing with a simple drizzle of browned butter, but it can also take slap-you-in-the-face flavours too.
I’d been craving it since I went on my knife skills course at Leith School of Food & Wine a few weeks ago.  We gutted and filleted one, then cooked it en-papillote with a mountain of chilli and coriander for lunch.

Oh man it was good.

I’ve been trying to pick up a whole sea bass at the supermarket since, but it seems all of my local supermarkets only stock ready-filleted fish.  I’m planning on heading down to the fishmongers next week so I can really practise my new knife skills with the awesome (sitting here with a giddy grin) knife set Chris bought me for my birthday.

I’ve gotta say, he really did well there.

If you read my Butter Chicken post you might remember me moaning at the possibility of Chris getting me a crock-pot for my birthday? I have to say it right here and now that, even though I grumbled about the possibility of receiving a crock-pot or something similar, these knives definitely do not fall into the same category.

In fact, I think they might have made it to the ‘things-to-grab-if-your-house-is-on-fire’ list – after the kids, Chris and the cats of course.

A couple of photos for you before I finally get on with the recipe.
Here’s the sea bass before it goes into the oven.  I’ve basted it with the sauce, and sprinkled it with the sugar.  You can see that most of the sauce runs off, but that’s ok.  It’ll get thicker and stickier once it’s been in the oven for a few minutes.  Then you can baste the fish again.

Oh by the way, you’ll have to excuse the tray.  I was going for the vintage-battered look for the photos – but I think I just achieved crusty and in need of a good soak…

Once cooked it looks like this.  8 Minutes is all it needs to achieve soft, fall apart fish.

Finish off with a scattering of chillies, coriander and lime slices and you’re ready to serve.

The 12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass Recipe:

12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass

12 minute sticky Asian Sea Bass - Soft, flaky fish with a sweet and spicy flavour kick.

4.25 from 8 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 4 mins

Cook Time: 8 mins

Total Time: 12 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: easy, fish with sauce, quick, sea bass, spicy

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Nicky Corbishley

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 of a red chilli finely chopped
• 3 tbsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. dark soy sauce replace with tamari if gluten intolerant
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 clove of garlic peeled and minced
• Juice of 1/4 lime
• 2 Sea Bass fillets - skin on
• 1/2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar

To Serve:

• Handful of fresh coriander torn
• 1/2 red chilli sliced thinly
• Slices of lime

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200c/400f
• Mix the oil, chilli, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lime in a small bowl.
• Place the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, on a baking tray. Sprinkle on the cornflour and rub it into the fish gently.
• Spoon on the honey-soy sauce mix (it will pour off a little, but that's fine). Sprinkle on the sugar and place in the oven to cook for 8 minutes. Half-way through cooking, open the oven and baste the fish with the sauce in the tray (it will be stickier now it's been in the oven).
• Once the fish is cooked, take out of the oven and baste again with sauce, then sprinkle the top with coriander and slices of chilli.
• Serve with lime slices and some boiled rice or salad.

Recipe Notes

Nutritional Information obtained using Calorie Count  Based on 1 sea bass fillet:

Nutritional Information

Nutrition Facts

12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass

Amount Per Serving (177 g)

Calories 318 Calories from Fat 85

% Daily Value*

Fat 9.4g14%

Saturated Fat 1.6g8%

Cholesterol 54mg18%

Sodium 542mg23%

Potassium 391mg11%

Carbohydrates 34.4g11%

Fiber 0.7g3%

Sugar 30.6g34%

Protein 25.1g50%

Vitamin A 200IU4%

Vitamin C 4.1mg5%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 0.7mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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