December 22, 2015 Marge Perry & David Bonom

Roasted Sea Bass with Quick Kimchi

This wildly flavorful and beautiful dish (which happens to also be healthful) is as impressive tasting as it is looking.

Ingredients

Kimchi:

1 2 pound of head Napa cabbage

4 tablespoons of salt

3 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon of ginger fresh, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons of fish sauce

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of Korean red pepper coarse powder

1 tablespoon of sugar

3 scallions thinly sliced

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds toasted

Sea Bass:

2 2-2 1/2 pound of whole sea bass, such as Bronzino or Striped Bass cleaned, head and tail on

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons of fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper

4 scallions thinly sliced

For the kimchi, quarter the cabbage lengthwise then cut across into 2-inch pieces. Transfer to a bowl. Combine the salt and 6 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let cool 3 minuets. Pour the mixture over the cabbage and let stand, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500F. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.
While the cabbage soaks make the dressing. Combine the garlic, ginger, fish sauce and vinegar in a blender; puree. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Korean red pepper powder and sugar. Drain the cabbage, rinse under cold water, drain thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water. Place cabbage in a clean bowl and stir in the dressing, scallions and sesame seeds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Rinse the bass under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub both fish, inside and out, with the sesame oil. Combine the lemon juice and fish sauce in a bowl. Rub the mixture over the inside and outside of the fish. Season with the pepper. Sprinkle one-third of the scallions onto the baking sheet and set the fish on top. Sprinkle one-third of the scallions into the cavities of the fish and then sprinkle the tops with the rest.
Roast the bass until the skin is browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork, 22-24 minutes. Remove from the oven and filet fish before serving. Serve with the kimchi and lemon wedges.