BARBECUED SEA BASS WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

You don’t need to barbecue the sea bass for this: wrap it in foil and bake it in the oven if that’s easier. Similarly, you don’t need to use sea bass, which, though delicious, is expensive. The point is, any fish goes with these lemons which are preserved not quite in the usual way of being steeped in salt for weeks but are quickly blanched and then cooked in a light, briney syrup. The advantages are twofold: you can prepare the lemons just the day before you need to use them rather than having to get yourself efficiently ahead of yourself by starting the lemons ten days before (who knows what they’re going to do, let alone going to cook, ten days in advance?); and this method tamps down rather than points up their rasping acidity, providing a mellow fruitfulness rather than acerbic tang.

for the preserved lemons:

4 unwaxed lemons

250g caster sugar

100g Maldon salt

500ml water

Cut each lemon into quarters, removing any pips or white pith. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain them and put the lemon quarters in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for an hour.

Mix the sugar, salt and the measured water in a saucepan and put on the heat to dissolve. Drain the lemon quarters and add to the pan, bring them to the boil and then turn down the heat and let them simmer until the skins are tender, which should take about 20 minutes. Remove the lemons to a Kilner jar or similar and then reduce the syrup a little by letting it bubble away over high heat on the hob for a while, and pour over the lemons in the jar. The lemons will be ready to use the following day, though obviously you can keep them in their liquid in the jar to be plundered whenever you want them.

And actually, since you’re going to need about 2 lemons’ worth for the sea bass below, you might well want to boost quantities for regular use.

for the sea bass:

1 sea bass, approx. 1kg, gutted and scaled

3 tablespoons olive oil

6–8 quarters preserved lemons

small bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 small bunch fresh mint, chopped

1 tablespoon syrup from the lemons

black pepper

Score the sea bass, making about three slashes almost to the bone on each side of the fish. Brush the fish with the olive oil, taking care to paint the head and tail well, as those parts stick the most.

Chop the lemon pieces finely and put them in a bowl with the chopped parsley and mint, mix everything up with your fingers and then stuff the six slashes with the lemon-herb mixture. Any herby, lemony gunge that’s left once you’ve done this can be put into the cavity of the fish.

Lay the fish on a piece of foil and drizzle with the syrup, and season with black pepper. Then when you are ready to cook, lay the fish (on the foil) straight on to a very hot barbecue. Cooking the fish on a piece of foil means that it doesn’t stick to the grill bars and you can also manoeuvre the fish off the heat easily when it’s ready. Cook the sea bass for about 15 minutes. That’s to say, it takes this long on my barbecue – which has a lid – but if you’re cooking on an open barbecue, you will probably need to turn the fish. Otherwise, you can wrap the fish entirely in foil – making a tightly sealed but baggy package – and sit it on a baking tray in a hot oven (about 200°C/gas mark 6) for about the same length of time.

Serves 4.