Samak Singari
Butterflied sea bass or sea bream baked with lime, vegetables and cumin.
Preparation: 15 min · Cooking: 20 min · Total: 45 min · 2 servings
Ingredients
- cleaned butterflied sea bass OR sea bream, about 600 g prepared — 1
- tomato, finely chopped — 1
- small onion, finely chopped — 1
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- green chilli, chopped — 1
- garlic cloves, crushed — 2
- limes, juice only — 2
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Measure and prepare
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Use an oven-rated non-reactive dish, or a supported foil boat with a food-contact liner explicitly rated for 220°C and acidic food. Follow manufacturer directions; not all parchment or decorative vessels qualify.
Follow manufacturer directions; not all parchment or decorative vessels qualify.
Prepare the ingredients
Use already cleaned food-sourced fish, kept at ≤4°C. Pat dry without unnecessary tap rinsing. Prepare washed topping vegetables on a separate clean board before handling raw fish.
Prepare washed topping vegetables on a separate clean board before handling raw fish.
Build the base
Combine the chopped onion, tomato, green chilli and 2 crushed garlic cloves with juice of 2 limes, all cumin, oil, salt and pepper. Use the single oil allowance only once.
Use the single oil allowance only once.
Combine the components
Lay the butterflied fish skin-side down in a single layer. Spread all topping over the flesh; do not overlap fish when scaling to 8 servings.
Spread all topping over the flesh; do not overlap fish when scaling to 8 servings.
Cook and check
Bake at 220°C, beginning checks around 20 minutes, earlier for smaller fish portions. Continue until thick flesh away from bones reaches 63°C, is opaque and separates easily. Charred topping alone is not a doneness test.
Charred topping alone is not a doneness test.
Cook and check: 1200 seconds
Finish carefully
For 1 serving use half a comparable fish, about 300 g prepared, with half the topping. For 8 use 4 prepared fish, about 2400 g, in equivalent trays, with 4 onions, 4 tomatoes, 4 chillies, 8 garlic cloves, juice of 8 limes and 4 tbsp each cumin and oil.
For 8 use 4 prepared fish, about 2400 g, in equivalent trays, with 4 onions, 4 tomatoes, 4 chillies, 8 garlic cloves, juice of 8 limes and 4 tbsp each cumin and oil.
Check before serving
Check several thick points with a clean thermometer before serving 2 portions. Remove bones carefully; whole fish is not automatically boneless. Keep cooked fish separate from raw-fish utensils.
Keep cooked fish separate from raw-fish utensils.
Serve and store
Serve immediately while hot. Refrigerate leftovers within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C; use within 24 hours and reheat at most once to 74°C.
Refrigerate leftovers within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C; use within 24 hours and reheat at most once to 74°C.
Tips
- Instructions describe the original 2-serving batch. Scale the ingredient list to 1 or 8 servings: exactly half or fourfold. One cup is 240 ml, one tbsp 15 ml and one tsp 5 ml. Dry volumes are not gram weights. Use equivalent vessels/batches; cooking times are checks, not linear scaling rules.
Common mistakes
- Do not add unlisted ingredients or use the timer alone as a doneness test.
Substitutions
- Use only the listed alternatives and ingredient states; check product directions and allergens.
Storage
Refrigerate promptly within 1 hour in shallow portions at ≤4°C. Use within 24 hours from preparation, including chilling. These are selected conservative household limits, not a validated shelf life.
Reheating
Reheat leftovers at most once to 74°C throughout, then serve immediately. Keep unused portions refrigerated.
About this recipe
Butterflied sea bass or sea bream baked with lime, vegetables and cumin.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.