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Fish, European

Donostia style sea bass with roasted potatoes

Donostia style sea bass is a whole fish roasted in the oven on a bed of potatoes, then finished at the table with sizzling garlic and chili oil sharpened with vinegar. It takes 1 hour for 4 people, ranks medium in difficulty because of cooking a whole fish, and costs €5.20 per serving. The trick is pouring the oil on while it's still boiling, it should hiss on the skin right away.

I suggest a whole roasted sea bass Donostia style, finished at the table with sizzling garlic, chili and vinegar oil, served with roasted potatoes.

Donostia style sea bass with roasted potatoes
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€5.20
Calories per person
510 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall

This Basque dish plays on a sharp contrast, the sea bass stays tender and pearly under crisp skin, while the garlic and chili oil arrives sizzling hot to wake everything up with heat and the sharpness of vinegar. Fresh parsley and the lemon tucked inside the fish bring a brightness that balances that fragrant oil. The potatoes roasting underneath soak up the juices and turn out soft inside, golden on the bottom.

This is a dish for a slow Sunday or for having people over, something you make when you can keep an eye on the oven and serve straight from the pan at the table. Pouring the sizzling oil in front of guests always gets a reaction. Kids used to milder flavors will likely find the chili too much, this one is really built for adults.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • whole gutted sea bass 1.4 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • potatoes 900 g
  • garlic 6 cloves
  • cayenne pepper 1
  • lemon 1
  • parsley 1 bunch

Pantry

  • wine vinegaroften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • olive oiloften in the pantry 10 tbsp
  • coarse saltoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish

The step by step recipe

  1. Cut the potatoes into thick rounds, drizzle with oil, salt them, and roast at 200°C. 35 min

    Flip them halfway through so they brown on both sides.

  2. Salt the sea bass inside and out, stuffing it with a bit of lemon and a garlic clove.

    Score the skin crosswise, it won't curl up and the fish cooks more evenly.

  3. Lay the sea bass on top of the potatoes halfway through their cooking time and continue roasting. 25 min

    Figure about twenty minutes per kilo, the eye turns white when it's done.

  4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with sliced garlic and minced chili until the garlic just turns golden. 4 min

    Don't let the garlic brown, it turns bitter once hot.

  5. Take off the heat, add the vinegar, and pour this boiling oil over the fish straight out of the oven, with parsley.

    Set warm plates and keep a towel handy, it splatters a bit.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a sea bass that's clearly fresh, clear eyes and firm flesh, cooking it whole shows a mediocre fish right away.
  • Pull the sea bass out of the oven just as the oil finishes, it needs to still be hot when the oil hits the skin.
  • Keep the roasting pan for serving straight at the table, pouring the oil over is part of the fun of this meal.

The variations

  • Swap the sea bass for a whole sea bream or mackerel, the sizzling oil trick works with any thin skinned fish.
  • For a fish free version, pour the same garlic and chili oil over roasted potatoes and a poached egg, it keeps the same spirit.
  • To save time, ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the sea bass for you, that skips a step and saves ten minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lemon
  • A dry white wine like txakoli
  • Bread to mop up the oil

Storage

This fish is best eaten the same day, the skin loses its crispness in the fridge. Leftovers keep 1 day in a sealed container, reheat gently in the oven so the flesh doesn't dry out. This dish doesn't freeze well, a whole cooked fish turns mushy once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you prep Donostia style sea bass ahead of time?

You can slice the potatoes and prep the garlic and chili ahead. But the fish needs to roast right before serving, and the oil should be poured on boiling hot at the very end to keep its effect.

What chili can I use instead of cayenne pepper?

A bird's eye chili or a regular fresh red chili both work well. Adjust the amount based on how hot your chili is.

How do you know when the sea bass is cooked through?

Figure about twenty minutes of cooking per kilo of fish. The eye turns white and opaque once the bass is cooked through.

Why score the skin before cooking the sea bass?

Crosswise scores keep the skin from curling up as it hits the heat. The fish holds its shape better and cooks more evenly.

How long does it take to make a Donostia style sea bass with roasted potatoes?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Donostia style sea bass with roasted potatoes?

About 510 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Donostia style sea bass with roasted potatoes cost?

About €5.20 per serving, or €20.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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