Lemongrass, the seasoning most closely associated with Southeast Asia, plays a major role here, despite the presence of many other ingredients. Nothing else “cleans” the taste of the fish quite like it. Serve with any rice dish.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed (page 143) and smashed

　　1 small fresh chile, stemmed and seeded

　　2 garlic cloves, peeled

　　2 tablespoons corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

　　1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thai basil leaves

　　One 3-to 5-pound sea bass or red snapper, gilled, gutted, and scaled, head may be on or off

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　Lime wedges for serving

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the lemongrass, chile, and garlic in a food processor. Process until finely minced. Add the oil and process until pasty; stir in the herbs.

　　

Step 2

Place the fish on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make 2-inch-long cuts, about 1 inch apart, on each side of the fish. Stuff the cavity and the cuts with the herb mixture and spread the remaining mixture on top of the fish.

　　

Step 3

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the fish is done (the meat near the bone will appear opaque, and the flesh will flake). Serve immediately, with lime wedges.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.