Roasted Striped Bass

Image from www.tesco.com

 

In addition to our delicious Thanksgiving turkey, our table was graced with the fruits of the sea, a dish of Roasted Sea Bass (see printable recipe).  I knew that I wanted to make a stuffed fish-dish that used ingredients that were citrusy, light, and delicious.  Not being the best fish buyer, I set my parents to the task of buying the fish.  For those of you who live in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles), the 99 Ranch Market (Sepulveda and Victory) is a little bit of food heaven.  Although mainly an Asian market, the produce, fish, meat, sauce, sweets, and dairy selection can greatly benefit any recipe.  My parents decided on striped bass, a fish that I had seen in various recipes, but never cooked.  The folks at the 99 Ranch Market are kind enough to take care of all the icky tasks related to cooking with fish.  They scaled, gutted, and washed each fish until they were ready to cook. 
The day before Thanksgiving, I salted the fish and rubbed them with oilve oil.  Then I stuffed them with my marinade and thick slices of lemon.  I poured the leftover marinade over the fish, sealed the dish and marinated it overnight.  On Thanksgiving Day, after the turkey was done, the fish were removed from the fresh and brought up to room temperature.  I baked them for one hour at 350 degrees F (covered for a half hour and uncovered for another half hour).  It was a great addition to our table and by the end of the meal, all that was left was a few bones...not a bad compliment to the cook.