Chef Mark’s Guide to Perfect Whole Sea Bass, Two Ways

Good morning! There’s nothing better than the taste of freshly grilled fish, and today, Chef Mark is showing us how to master it. Forget the fear of fish sticking to the grate or drying out; with a Bull Grill and these two simple methods, you’ll be serving up perfectly cooked sea bass that’s bursting with flavour.

In this guide, we’ll explore two classic preparations: a Crispy-Skinned Sea Bass cooked directly on the plancha, and a tender, aromatic Sea Bass Al Cartoccio steamed in a parcel with Mediterranean ingredients. Let’s fire up the grill!

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

For Both Fish:

• 2 whole sea bass, scaled and gutted

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Coarse sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Fresh lemon wedges for serving

For the Sea Bass Al Cartoccio:

• 1 large sheet of heavy-duty tin foil

• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, halved

• A handful of Kalamata olives

• 2 thin lemon slices

• A generous splash of dry white wine

• A sprig of fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)

Equipment

• Bull BBQ Grill with a Plancha/Griddle accessory

• Tongs

• Fish slice or spatula

Instructions

Part 1: Preparing the Fish

Chef’s Pro Tip: To ensure even cooking and crispy skin, Chef Mark scores the fish differently than you might expect. Instead of cutting across the fish, he makes a single, shallow incision lengthwise, from just behind the head down towards the tail, on both sides.

Pat both fish dry with a paper towel. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season well all over, and inside the cavity, with coarse sea salt.

Important: Chef Mark advises to only add black pepper after cooking, as it can burn on the grill and turn bitter.

Part 2: The Sea Bass Al Cartoccio Method

Build Your Parcel: Lay out your sheet of tin foil. Place one of the seasoned sea bass in the centre.

Add the Flavours: Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes, olives, and lemon slices around and inside the fish.

Create the Steam: Pour over a generous splash of white wine and another drizzle of olive oil.

Seal Tightly: Fold the foil over to create a tightly sealed parcel. This is the secret to the ‘al cartoccio’ method, as it traps the steam and infuses the fish with all the beautiful flavours.

Part 3: The Crispy-Skinned Method

This one is simple: the seasoned and scored fish is ready for the grill as is!

Part 4: Fire Up the Bull & Cook

Preheat: Turn your Bull Grill on to a medium-high heat, including the plancha/griddle accessory. You want a temperature of around 200°C (400°F).

Cook the Fish:

Place the sealed Al Cartoccio parcel directly on the griddle or grill grates.

Place the other sea bass directly onto the hot, oiled plancha, skin-side down.

Grill: Cook both for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Flip the crispy-skinned fish once, after about 7-8 minutes, when the skin is golden and releases easily from the plancha.

There is no need to flip the ‘al cartoccio’ parcel.

The fish is cooked when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Part 5: Serve and Enjoy

Carefully open the ‘al cartoccio’ parcel (watch out for the steam!) and serve it in its flavourful juices.

Serve the crispy-skinned sea bass immediately.

Season both fish with a final grind of black pepper and serve with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing over. Enjoy