Escape to the coast, Sea salt baked fish, mayo & brighter days
The wonder of herbs
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Ahoy there. Set sail with me. Shades of the seaside come rain or shine. As long as I can remember I have lived by the sea, a life that not for one minute have I taken for granted and without realising it the sea has sustained me every way. Everyday being close to the water taking a moment. Feeling its extraordinary energy which has always given me comfort and happiness whatever the season. I appreciate the need to escape to the coast, the fresh and untouched sea air is so restorative and calming. The way I cook is very much influenced to where I live. Always a sense of place.
Basic Mayo (bonus recipe)
Homemade mayo from scratch is the best. Full stop hands down. Have a go you will love it.
Making mayonnaise from scratch is one of those things that do once it becomes therapy. A few basic ingredients into something creamy, rich and delicious. Vibrant with a homemade flavour that can be made into any version that you would like. Adjusting the ingredients through adding mustard, garlic, lemon juice and herbs.
Always use good quality ingredients and watch the magic of emulsification, the golden egg yolks act as the emulsifier bringing together the oil and the acid. The base for aioli, tartare sauce and my favourite tarragon mayo. Have a go and let me know.
Recipe:
Ingredients
3 egg yolks
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 lemon juiced
250ml sunflower oil
Sea salt
Ground black pepper
Method
Place egg yolks in a food processor and add lemon juice, Dijon, and a good pinch of sea salt. Whizz until just combined. Pour the oil into a jug and with the motor running pour slowly through the funnel in a fine slow stream until all the oil is incorporated and it has emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Place in a jar with a lid and store for 3-5 days in the fridge.
Tarragon Mayo: 1 small bunch tarragon. Remove the tarragon leaves from the stalks and roughly chop, as you chop the delicious fragrance will be released. Fold through the mayo and taste.
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RECIPE:
Salt baked sea bass, herbs, tarragon mayo
My recipe is inspired by the sea. My salt baked sea bass recipe which is simple to make and a dish that will shine at any table. Encasing the bass in Cornish sea salt gently wraps the fish up and keeps all the moisture and fragrances of the herbs and lemon as it cooks. A fish supper like no other the bass has a depth of flavour that is so delicious. Accompanied by tarragon mayo, fennel gratin and Cornish earlies this will transport you to the coast.
Ingredients
serves 4
1 x 1.5 - 2kg sea bass, gutted, gills removed, scales left on, from sustainable source
a bunch of fresh-flat leaf parsley
a bunch of fresh marjoram
1 bunch of fresh tarragon
1 bulb of fennel and fronds
1kg Cornish sea salt
2 egg whites
1 lemon
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C In a large bowl whisk the egg whites until gently foaming, combine 100ml of water and add the sea salt then evenly spread one-third of the mixture over a large baking tray. Finely slice the lemon and the fennel.
Lay the fish on the salt, and put the herbs, fennel and lemon in the cavity of the bass. Be careful not to get the salt inside the cavity, you don't want to make the fish too salty. Encase everything but the head and tail in salt, tuck it in tightly.
Put the tray into the oven for 35-40 minutes. To test if the bass is ready, push a skewer through the salt into the thickest part of the fish – if the skewer is warm and almost hot it is ready. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Gently crack the salt casing and pull it away from the fish, brushing any excess salt from the top. Gently loosen and carefully transfer the fish to a large plate.
Pull the skin away, and use a round ended knife to scrape away any darker fish, leaving you with beautifully cooked and tender sea bass. Serve with tarragon mayo, new potatoes and watercress.
Cook’s note - The salt is a layer of insulation, this allows the fish to evenly and gently cook absorbing all of the delicious flavours the herbs, fennel and lemon. It really is a showstopper.
The wonder of herbs:
Herbs always make me feel positively joyful, their colour, shape and scent, they are so clever and diverse. I would encourage you to always have herbs somewhere in your house. On your kitchen windowsill or pots outside your kitchen door, window boxes add a pop of colour and hope to your home. Place where they are easily at hand, herbs are essential in my kitchen as are a bowl of lemons.
Rosemary – Steadfast and true a herb that I love. Hardy it requires little attention apart from a good dose of cornish sunshine it thrives particularly well by the sea. In the spring beautiful blue flowers appear which I use to decorate dishes with or make rosemary sugar with for shortbread.
Lovage – Love lovage a herb that is a mixture between celery and parsley wonderful in cooking and a herb I have grown very fond of over time.
Chives – Beautifully tall chives remind me of childhood days of family summer parties old school potato salad with mayonnaise, always part of my fine herbs which include parsley, tarragon. There is something so comforting being able to go outside to the kitchen garden and snip some for cooking. The flowers are delicious too adding that delicious alium kick to any dish and pop of colour.
Mint – Medicinal and wonderful. Mint inspires me and always gives me a sense of well being. Fresh mint tea is delicious and cleansing and a go to tonic/cuppa. There are so many varieties I particular like garden mint, chocolate mint and strawberry mint. Easy to grow although will take over so I tend to plant mine in pots in my planters.
Sage – Earthy and a herb I always asscociate with the colder months. I find sage particularly beautiful such delicate leaves with an intense autumnal feel.
Tarragon – Sings summer to me, warm days and a herb that is often underated and misunderstood. Tarragon mayo is one of my favourite essentials and once you have made you will need it in your life.
Coriander – Like marmite you either love or hate this herb. I love coriander so versitle and delicious in fish cookery. It grows well although has a habit of bolting and reaching for the sky.
Flat Leaf Parsley - Always flat leaf for me and always a herb I use to finish dishes from omelettes to kedgeree, once you start cooking with herbs you will never go back.
Basil – Summer time, intense fragrance and always a herb I have on my kitchen window sill. I always find a herb I use up quickly as I tend not to be green fingered enough to keep them alive. Thai basil is delicious and can be aniseed flavour to dishes and elevates the look of the dish.
Bay – Hardy and great to grown in my kitchen garden , it adds flavour to soups, stews, slow cooked meats and works wonderfully in puddings, Ice cream and jellies.
About Home Shores
100 simple fish recipes to cook at home 📖 🐟 🌊
Fish and shellfish are the perfect healthy fast supper, a treat we enjoy when eating out, but often something we shy away from when cooking for ourselves. With Home Shores at your side, you need never do so again.
By following Emily Scott’s tried-and-tested techniques, and the hints and tips that accompany the recipes throughout, you will soon be cooking perfect pan-fried fish dinners and super seafood suppers with confidence at home, including Lemony Orzo with Tuna, Avocado, Spring Onions and Mint, Hot Smoked Trout and Watercress Tarts, and Sea Bass with Malaysian Dressing.
Coupled with Emily’s expert advice on what to look for when choosing and buying fish and shellfish, how best to prepare them, a chapter on using just tinned fish and another on Emily’s favourite flavoured butters, sauces and sides, including Citrus Vodka Tomato Sauce, Green Olive Caponata, and Fig and Apple Pickles, plus an equally important section on the art of making a good fish stock, Home Shores is guaranteed to become your go-to kitchen companion whenever you fancy fish for dinner.
