Ingredients

• 1.8kg/4lb sea bass
• cleaned and scaled
• 1 lemon
• thickly sliced
• freshly ground black pepper
• 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil
• leaves from small bunch of thyme
• 1 small bunch of rosemary
• chopped
• 750g/1lb 10oz coarse sea salt
• 1 lemon
• grated zest only
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 free-range egg white
• lightly beaten
• melted butter and lemon wedges
• to serve
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp of water
• 3 free-range egg yolks beaten with 2 tbsp water
• 225g/8oz unsalted butter cut in tiny pieces
• or melted and left to cool until just warm
• 15g/1oz unsalted butter
• 225g/8oz sorrel
• washed

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 220C/450F/Gas 7. Lightly oil a deep-sided roasting tin.
• Fill the belly cavity of the fish with the lemon slices and season inside with freshly ground black pepper.
• In a bowl
• mix the herbs with the sea salt
• lemon zest
• chilli flakes and beaten egg white.
• Place one third of the salt mixture in the roasting tin and place the fish on top. Completely cover the fish with the rest of the salt mixture.
• Place the salt-covered fish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• make the hollandaise. In a small saucepan combine the white wine vinegar with the tablespoon of water and cook until it reduces down to one teaspoon in volume.
• Allow to cool then add the beaten egg yolks and whisk continuously over a low heat. Once cooked
• the eggs in your hollandaise should be smooth and velvety rather than granular. When the texture is right you can very gradually incorporate the butter
• a little at a time.
• Whisk vigorously while adding the butter. If it gets too thick add a few drops of warm water. Once all the butter has been incorporated
• season to taste and keep warm. Do not let it get too hot as the sauce will split.
• For the sorrel
• melt the unsalted butter in a shallow pan until hot and foaming. Add the sorrel leaves and heat gently until the leaves have wilted.
• Remove from the heat and roughly chop the sorrel leaves. Stir the sorrel into the warmed hollandaise.
• When the fish is cooked
• remove from the oven. Carefully crack open the salt case and remove the fish.
• Serve on a large dish with the sorrel hollandaise.