Home-style Hot-Spiced Sea Bass Recipe

　　Grilled Fish is a very popular dish in recent years, with several grilled fish shops on the streets. During autumn and winter, their business is always brisk; sometimes, you need to make reservations if you want to order one. Actually, making grilled fish is quite simple,as long as you have an oven, you can make delicious and hygienic spiced grilled fish at home.

　　Ingredients Main Ingredients

Fresh Sea Bass about 2 pounds, half a radish,half a lotus root, five fresh mushrooms,one celery stalk,two fresh chilies, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce,1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of Doubanjiang (Sichuan fermented broad bean paste),5 grams of Sichuan pepper, 2 star anise, 5 dried red chilies,4 slices of ginger, half a garlic head, salt, black pepper powder,coriander, and green onions.Steps 1. Clean the sea bass thoroughly and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Make cuts on both sides from the belly to the back without cutting through the spine, then season the fish evenly inside and out with salt, and gently massage for a few minutes before letting it marinate for 15 minutes. 2. Wash all the side dishes and prepare them accordingly;3. Heat some oil in a pan; use more oil than usual. Add Sichuan pepper, star anise, and dried red chilies until their fragrance comes out; the peppers will turn dark brown (I forgot to take pictures of this step). 4. Remove the Sichuan pepper, star anise, and chili from the pan, leaving only the fried oil.5. Place the marinated sea bass flat on a baking tray, brush its surface with the reserved cooking oil using a silicone brush or a bristle brush; try to use as much oil as possible. 6. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius, place the oiled sea bass on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.7. While baking the fish, prepare the side dishes: heat the remaining cooking oil in a pan, add ginger slices and garlic cloves and fry until fragrant. 8. Add 1 tablespoon of Doubanjiang and 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce to the pan, stir-fry for a few seconds.9. Add all the side dishes and green onions; stir-fry for a few minutes before adding 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and mixing well. 10. Pour in about half a cup of water, bring it to a boil, then cover and simmer for another two or three minutes, turn off the heat and add a little black pepper powder.11. After the fish is done baking, adjust the oven temperature to 165 degrees Celsius; pour the cooked side dishes with sauce over the fish and put it back on the middle rack of the oven for another 8 minutes. Tips

1. Ensure the fish is thoroughly dried before grilling to achieve a crispy skin.

2. You can choose your favorite side ingredients based on personal preference.

3. The soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Doubanjiang are salty enough, so no additional salt is needed for the side dishes; you can adjust according to taste after cooking.

4. I used a non-stick golden baking dish, which is very easy to clean; if your dish is not non-stick, line it with parchment paper or foil before grilling to make cleaning easier. Drain the pepper, star anise, and chili after frying and keep only the used oil. Lay the sea bass flat on a baking tray and brush with the seasoned oil all over. Use more of the oil for better results.(There will still be plenty of oil left in the pot at this point; save it as you will need to fry the side dishes later);

Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius, then place the oiled sea bass on a middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.

While baking the fish, start cooking the side dishes. Heat the remaining oil from the pot in a pan.

Add one tablespoon of Doubanjiang and one spoon of oyster sauce, and stir-fry for a few seconds.

Add all the vegetables and scallions, and stir-fry for a few minutes before adding another tablespoon of light soy sauce to mix well.

Pour in about 1/2 cup of water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for two or three more minutes. Turn off the heat and season with a little black pepper.

Remove the baked fish from the oven when ready. Adjust the oven temperature to 165 degrees Celsius.

Pour the cooked vegetables and their sauce over the fish on the baking tray. Return it to the middle rack in the oven for another 8 minutes.

Tips

1. Dry the fish thoroughly before marinating to ensure a crispy skin when baked.. 2. You can choose your side dishes based on personal preference.

.

3. Since Doubanjiang, oyster sauce, and light soy sauce are already salty, I did not add any additional salt to the vegetables. Adjust according to taste after cooking.

.