Sea Bass with Dill

Serves 1. Just double, triple, etc., to serve more.

Time requirement: 5-10 minutes prep and 25-30 minutes to cook.

What you will need.

1 whole black sea bass, head on, scaled and gutted. These fish will be about one pound each before they are gutted and scaled.

Dash of kosher salt.

1 lemon.

6 long fresh dill sprigs

1 garlic clove, peeled, and thinly sliced.

1 tablespoons olive oil.

Preparation:

Wash the fish under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Put a dash of salt in the fish cavity. Place the fish on a clean flat work surface. On each side make three deep incisions in the flesh – from the skin to the bone, on the diagonal.

Strip the dill fronds from the dill stalks and chop to render 2 tablespoons of finely chopped dill.

Cut 3 thin slices from half of the lemon. Cut each slice in half. Reserve the remaining lemon half to roast with the fish.

Place some dill in each incision cut into the fish. Insert a piece of lemon into each incision. If the lemon piece is too large to insert, cut it down to fit. Finally place some lemon and dill in the cavity of the fish.

Choose a glass or ceramic oven-proof pan that can accommodate the fish with just a little extra room. Layer the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Scatter a little dill in the dish. Place the fish in the center of the pan. Scatter the sliced garlic atop the fish. Place the remaining lemon half in the dish. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the fish.

Preheat the oven. When the oven is 450 degrees F. Loosely cover the pan with foil and place in the oven Set a timer for 20 minutes. Then uncover the fish and cook an additional 5 minutes. At 25 minutes test for doneness. Remove from the oven. Place a fork in one of the incisions of the fish. If you can easily flake the flesh from the bone, the fish is done. If not cook continue to cook and test again in three-minute interval. If the fish is nearly done, remove the pan from the oven, cover with foil, and let it rest for 5 minutes. The retained heat in the pan will finish the cooking.

Serve the fish on a warm serving plate with the roasted lemon half to squeeze over the fish.

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