|

Try lightly brushing the
skin with olive oil to help stop the fish sticking to the grill. The
skewer keeps the stuffing inside the cavity during cooking. |
What a treat, stuffed
with basil and barbecued directly over the coals for a crispy skin.
Buy from your local
fishmongers and don't forget to ask him to gut it for you, he will be
happy to do it and usually, fishmongers don't charge any extra.

Sea bass can be
expensive to buy, so save this recipe for when its just a small party of
friends.
Fish presented whole,
on a silver serving dish (the throw away ones are excellent) surrounded
with a mixed salad will impress and make the dish all the more
enjoyable. But some guests may not like or may squirm at the sight of
the head. |
Super as a starter with
a little bread and butter or as a main course with some barbecued new
potatoes and salad.
You can buy barbecue
fish holders in various sizes which will help you turn the fish during
cooking but of course you will have extra washing up.
The secret is not to
turn the fish too often, just once should be enough.
Method
Soak the wooden skewers
for around an hour to stop them burning during cooking.
Wash the fish under a
little cold running water, dry
with kitchen paper. Stuff the fish with fresh basil close and carefully
skewer the skin together.
Brush lightly with a
little olive oil. Season with black pepper and place in the fridge until
required.
|
|
Barbecuing
Direct over the coals:
barbecue the fish for around 5 or 6 minutes each side.
Indirectly: barbecue
for approx 30 minutes, turning once half way through cooking.
Check with a fork when
the fish turns flaky its done. |
|
Shopping list
2 medium size sea
bass
New potatoes
Mixed salad
Wooden skewers
|
|
|

Fish
fillets
You
pay for what you eat.You can if you prefer
not to look at the head while barbecuing, buy filleted fish, more
expensive but no waste. This will require the
fish to be cooked on a double layer of foil, closed if you wish but left
open will allow a more Smokey barbecued flavour to be absorbed into the
flesh, especially if cooked indirectly. This method is also
helpful when you need to keep the fish warm after cooking, just close
the foil and place on the side of the barbecue until required.
|