When I was a child, my father was a keen fisherman. Sometimes he would catch trout in a Scottish loch and bring them home, or better still, cook them straight away over an open fire. I’m sure health and safety would have a fit these days, but you really can’t beat the taste of freshly grilled fish.
If that flavour gets your taste buds going, but you want a little something more, try this recipe. It’s smart enough to serve to friends, and casual enough to enjoy at home for a quiet evening in.
Nothing beats freshly grilled fish, but sometimes you want to jazz it up a little.
For 2 Servings:
2 whole Sea Bass
1 large Aubergine, or 2 small ones
1 bag (250g approximately) young Spinach leaves
Tahini sauce (ready-made or make your own – you want a reasonably runny variety)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Olive oil or oil spray
A few pomegranate seeds (optional)
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
- Slice the aubergine across its width to form thin discs. Line a baking tray with foil, place the discs in it, in a single layer if possible, and sprinkle with olive oil, or spray with olive oil spray. Place in the oven and allow to cook for 20-30 minutes until soft and silky, turning once if necessary. Remove the aubergine from the tray and keep warm. I promise you that this step is the hardest work in the entire recipe, and as you can see, it’s not difficult.
- Place the fish on the foil where the aubergines were sitting. Place them under a hot grill and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side, until the skin is going crispy but not black.
- Meanwhile, put on the kettle and boil some water. Place the spinach in a colander and pour the boiling water over it, so that it is wilted but not completely flaccid. Wring out the spinach to get rid of any excess moisture and place it in a serving dish. Top with the aubergines, and spoon some tahini sauce, with the lime juice added, over the top.
- When the fish are grilled, place them on top of the aubergines and spinach, and sprinkle with more tahini sauce. Sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds over the top if you like. Being completely honest, pomegranates and sea bass are not really the best of friends, but they do look pretty, and they do go so well with the other ingredients that you can almost get away with it, but leave them out if you are a purist. Serve immediately with extra tahini on the side.
NB: Tahini sauce can be monstrously high in calories, so if you worry about such things you may like to omit it, or just have a spoonful on the side. My husband isn’t crazy about tahini, so he eats less while I enjoy a bit more. I find it pulls the dish together, and it is a brilliant source of calcium, particularly for those who avoid dairy. Don’t forget that tahini is made of sesame paste, so watch out for allergies!