SUNSET JULY/AUGUST 2019 59 --Whole Roasted Sea Bass with
Chile Garlic Vinegar
SERVES 4 / 1 HOUR
This beautiful make-ahead recipe is perfect for backyard
parties. You can prepare and tie up these bundles in the
morning and store them in the refrigerator until cook
time while you tend to other party preparations. Not
only do the banana leaves add flavor, but they also make
for a stunning presentation. If you can’t source banana
leaves, aluminum foil can be substituted—but it won’t
add that intoxicating banana-leaf aroma.
CHILE VINEGAR
3 Thai bird chiles, roughly
chopped
4 garlic cloves, thinly
sliced
2 cups calamansi vinegar,
or 1½ cups white
vinegar mixed with
½ cup lemon juice
2 whole sea bass (about
3 lbs. each), such as
striped sea bass, black
bass, or branzino,
cleaned and gutted
4 tbsp. shrimp paste
1 stalk of lemongrass, cut
into 3-in. sections
1 thumb-size piece of fresh
ginger, sliced into
¼-inch rounds
1 lime, sliced into ¼-in.
rounds
2 Thai bird chiles,
chopped
2 sprigs cilantro
Kosher salt
6 fresh or frozen banana
leaves
- In a small bowl, com-
bine chiles, garlic, vine-
gar, and whisk to com-
bine. Set aside. - Heat a charcoal or gas
grill to medium-high
(about 450°) heat. - Cut three 2-in. diago-
nal slashes in the fish,
approximately 2 in.
apart. Using a spoon,
spread shrimp paste
evenly on each side of
the fish, taking care to
spread the paste into
the slashes. Dividing
equally, place lemon-
grass, ginger, lime, chil-
es, salt, and one sprig
of cilantro in the cavity
of each fish.- Cut banana leaves into
10- by 16-in. rectangles.
Make a rectangle out
of two layers of banana
leaves and place 1 fish
in the middle of the
rectangle. Wrap the
fish as you would wrap
a burrito. Using kitch-
en twine, tie into a
tight bundle. Repeat
for the second fish. - Place banana leaf–
wrapped fish on cook-
ing grate. Cook until
banana leaf is charred
on one side, about 15
minutes. Turn fish over
and cook 5 to 10 min-
utes more. Unwrap
fish. The flesh should
no longer be translu-
cent and an instant-
read thermometer
inserted into the center
should read 145°. Serve
fish at the table on ba-
nana leaves with chile
vinegar on the side.