TONGAN COCONUT SEA BASS
SOURCE: SAM CHOY. SAM CHOY'S POLYNESIAN KITCHEN: MORE THAN 150 AUTHENTIC DISHES FROM ONE OF THE WORLD"S MOST DELICIOUS AND OVERLOOKED CUISINES.
During the 1990s, the Tongan government sold passports to the Chinese in hopes that the island nation could lure in wealthy Hong Kong residents who feared the erosion of civil rights brought by the impending transfer of British colonial rule to Chinese authority. What happened instead was the unexpected steep influx of Chinese mainlanders seeking employment and greener pastures in copra and fishing industries. By becoming the main ethnic minority in Tonga, Chinese immigrants introduced lemon, garlic, and ginger as novel aromatic concepts that can fuse into the essential elements of the local cuisine. The flavors imparted by the foreign triumvirate blessed Tongans the opportunity to forge a distinct identity for their fish cookery, allowing it to stand out from the rest of its Pacific Rim neighbors.
Ingredients
4 sea bass fillets, weighing about 6 ounces/170 grams each
1/2 cup/120 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 medium onion, sliced into rings
2 teaspoons/4 grams finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon/5 grams finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons/60 grams unsalted butter
2 cups/480 mL coconut milk, preferably freshly pressed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 medium-sized tomatoes, cut into round slices
Chopped scallions or chives OR fresh basil leaves for garnish
Specific Equipment
Shallow tray
Colander
Paper towels
Baking pan lined with parchment paper
Skillet OR sauté pan
Serves 4
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
2. Marinate the sea bass fillets in lemon juice for 15 minutes on a shallow tray. Drain the fish thoroughly through a colander and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons/30 grams butter in a skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté in the onion, ginger, and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes or until they have softened but not browned. Stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper according to taste.
4. Spoon the sauce over the sea bass fillets and top each with sliced tomatoes.
5. Bake the sea bass fillets for 25 to 30 minutes or until the fish has absorbed the sauce. Remove the fish from the oven.
6. Transfer the sea bass fillets collectively to a serving platter or individual dining plates. Garnish each fillet with chopped scallion chives or a fresh basil leaf before serving.
