Name: 12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp sesame oil; 1 red chilli (finely chopped); 4 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (replace with tamari for gluten-free); 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 2 cloves of garlic (peeled and minced); 1 tbsp fresh lime juice ((the juice from half a small lime)); 4 sea bass fillets (skin on); 1/2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch; 2 tbsp light brown sugar; 1 handful of fresh coriander (cilantro) (torn); 1 bunch of spring onions (scallions) (sliced into thin strips); 1 red chilli (sliced thinly); slices of lime

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Soft, flaky sea bass, drizzled in a sweet, spicy sauce and baked in the oven. Super quick and easy - 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.

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 cooking this pretty often since I went on my knife skills course at Leiths School of Food & Wine a few years back. We gutted and filleted one, then cooked it en-papillote with a mountain of chilli and coriander for lunch.

Oh man it was good. And it inspired me to come up with this simple dish!

What do we need?

How do we make it?

Mix sesame 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 a little cornflour (cornstarch if you're in the US) and rub it into the fish gently.
Pour over the honey-soy sauce mixture and top with a sprinkle of brown sugar, then place in the oven to cook for 8 minutes, basting half-way through cooking.

Once cooked, baste again then sprinkle coriander, spring onions (scallions) and slices of chilli and serve with lime slices and some boiled rice or salad.

You'll see that most of the sauce runs off and pools around the fish when it's first poured on, but that's ok. It'll get thicker and stickier once it's been in the oven and is starting to cool a little. Just pour that sauce from the tray back over the sea bass when you serve it up.

Other topping ideas:

Crispy fried strips of ginger, crispy fried onions (you can buy these ready made from larger stores), chilli flakes, sesame seeds or thinly sliced red onion would all make great alternatives or additional toppings.

Can I fry it instead?

Yes. Slash the skin of the sea bass two or three times, width-ways to help prevent the fish from curling when frying, then dust the fish with the cornflour (cornstarch).
Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the fish over a medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, skin-side-down first, until the skin is crisp. Then turn over and cook for 1 minute.
Transfer to a warm plate. Add all of the sauce ingredients to the pan and bubble together for a couple of minutes. Then pour over the sea bass and top with the same toppings.

What to serve with Sticky Asian Sea Bass:

Boiled Rice – check out my full post on how to boil rice (the method I ALWAYS use)
Special Fried Rice – masterclass post on getting it perfect!
Just leave the chicken out of my Lo Mein recipe for a lovely noodle side dish.
This Winter Noodle Salad with miso dressing makes a great side dish
Asian Mushrooms with Cashews and Veggies - baked in the oven too!

Got a craving for fish? How about these seafood recipes:

Thai Fishcakes with Vegetable Ribbons
Crispy Fish Tacos with Pico de Gallo
Seafood Laksa in a spicy slurpy sauce
Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake - a family favourite!
Crispy Fish Burgers with Shoestring Fries

The Video:

This post was first published in March 2015. Updated in February 2020 with new photos, video and tips.

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Hi I’m Nicky

I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.