Grilled Sea Bass With Cucumber Salad, Dill and Horseradish Yogurt

There is something very summery about whole fish on the grill. Not like a styled vacation ad, but for real: a bit of smoke in the air, lemon on your fingers and that feeling that dinner turned out better than it really had any right to. Sea bass is a rewarding fish for exactly this. Firm flesh, nice flavor and just enough self-confidence to handle the grill without getting boring.

Many people back away when it comes to fish on the grill, and I get it. One stuck-on fillet is enough to make you eye the grate suspiciously for the rest of the summer. But whole sea bass is easier than its reputation. With the right heat, a few cuts in the skin and preferably a fish basket, you get a dish that feels both light and generous at the same time.

If you want support with target temperatures for fish, you’ll find BBQLovers’ page on internal temperature for fish. And if you’re unsure how to set up a grill for even medium heat, our rundown of grilling methods is always good to have in your back pocket.

The Recipe in Brief

Here we grill whole or nearly whole sea bass with the skin on. The fish is filled with lemon, dill and a little garlic, brushed with oil and cooked over medium direct heat in a fish basket or on a well-oiled grate. To serve, we make a cold horseradish yogurt and a quick cucumber salad with dill, lemon and a little apple cider vinegar.

The result is fresh, clean and very grill-friendly. This is not a fish to hide under a thick sauce. It should taste of sea, embers and summer, with just enough help from the sides.

Why You Should Try This Recipe

Because sea bass is a perfect way into grilling fish if you want to make something that feels more ambitious than a salmon fillet in foil but is still perfectly reasonable at home. The fish has firm flesh, a nicely mild flavor and responds well to the dry heat of the grill. The skin protects the meat, and when it chars lightly you get both aroma and texture without the fish having to sit there for long.

I also like that the recipe is built on contrasts that help each other. The warm, slightly smoky fish meets cold yogurt with horseradish. The cucumber brings crunch and juiciness, the lemon brings acidity and the dill brings that Nordic note that always works with white fish. It is summery without being pale and fresh without being wimpy.

Recipe: Grilled Sea Bass With Cucumber Salad, Dill and Horseradish Yogurt

MetricUS

Jump to instructions

Ingredients

Serves 4

• about 2 whole sea bass, gutted and scaled, about 500–600 g each
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp flaky salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1 small bunch of dill

Horseradish yogurt

• ¾ cup + 1½ tbsp Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ tbsp finely grated horseradish
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp honey
• ½ tsp salt

Cucumber salad

• 1 large cucumber
• 2 tbsp finely chopped dill
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Dry the fish thoroughly, both outside and in the belly cavity. Cut 3–4 shallow slashes on each side down to the bone but no deeper.
2. Salt lightly in the slashes and inside the belly. Fill the fish with lemon slices, dill and thinly sliced garlic. Brush the outside with olive oil and season with black pepper.
3. Stir together the yogurt, horseradish, lemon juice, honey and salt. Keep it cold.
4. Slice the cucumber thinly, preferably with a mandoline. Toss with the dill, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 min.
5. Light the grill for medium direct heat, about 355°F. Oil the grate well or use a fish basket that is also lightly oiled.
6. Place the fish on the grill or in the basket with the first side down for 5 min. Turn carefully and cook another 5–6 minutes on the other side.
7. Check the temperature next to the backbone. The fish is done at around 133°F, or when the flesh just starts to release from the bone and feels juicy but not glossy raw.
8. Let rest for 2 min. Serve right away with the cucumber salad, the horseradish yogurt and preferably boiled new potatoes or grilled bread.
9. BBQLovers' temperature table for fish gives 133°F next to the backbone for whole fish, and that is a good guideline here.
10. Count on a total of 10 min for fish of this size, but always trust feel more than the clock.

Grilling Method: How to Succeed on the Grill

The key here is medium heat and patience. Too fierce a bed of coals and you burn the skin before the heat has reached the bone. Too low a heat and the fish sticks more easily because the skin doesn’t set properly. I want a grill that feels lively but not aggressive, about like when you can hold your hand over the grate for a couple of seconds without starting to regret your life choices.

A fish basket isn’t a wimp move, it’s a smart tool. Especially if you don’t grill fish every week. It makes the turn much calmer and gives you better control of the whole thing. If you don’t have a fish basket it still works fine, but then the grate has to be clean, hot and oiled, and the fish should be left alone until the skin releases by itself.

On a matte black Napoleon Rogue gas grill this is a very nice recipe, because you get even heat and plenty of control. A charcoal grill also works well, but then you should spread the coals a little more evenly than when you grill meat. Fish doesn’t like the same brutal point heat.

Temperature, Time and Signs That It’s Done

BBQLovers’ temperature table for fish gives 133°F next to the backbone for whole fish, and that is a good guideline here. Don’t aim much higher. Sea bass is at its best when the flesh still feels juicy and slightly pearly, not when it has turned chalk white and dry.

Count on a total of 10–12 minutes for fish of this size, but always trust feel more than the clock. The skin should have nice color, the flesh should release easily from the backbone and the fins should feel a bit drier and firmer. If you see white liquid being pressed out everywhere, you’ve gone too far.

Which Grill Works Best?

Gas grills and kettle grills are both really good choices. Gas makes it easy to hold an even heat and is therefore a safe choice for many people when grilling fish. A kettle grill gives a bit more ember character and is fantastic if you can keep the heat just right. A kamado also works, but don’t open and close the lid in a panic all the time. Fish needs a calmer working environment than a nervous grill master.

If you want to compare with another whole fish where the seasoning goes in a completely different direction, whole grilled mackerel with miso, ginger and sesame is a good next step.

Serving Suggestions

This fish is wonderful with boiled new potatoes that get just a little butter and dill, but also with a grilled sourdough bread that can catch the yogurt and the fish juices on the plate. If you want to build a bigger summer plate you can add tomatoes, radishes and maybe a glass of something cold and dry that doesn’t try to take over.

I wouldn’t serve anything heavy or very sweet with it. The fish is mild and elegant, so let the company around it be fresh and clean. If you want to swap the horseradish yogurt for something a little rounder, smoky mayo with lemon works really well without taking over the fish.

Björn’s Tips

• Dry the fish properly before oiling it. Wet skin sticks much more easily.
• Make the cuts in the skin so the heat gets in more evenly and the seasoning actually gets a hold.
• If you feel even slightly unsure: use a fish basket. Confidence doesn’t taste better than whole fish.

Common Mistakes

The biggest mistake is moving the fish around too early. Once the skin has set, it releases much more easily. Another common mistake is too high a heat, especially on a charcoal grill, where people easily think everything should be grilled like a ribeye. It really shouldn’t. Many people also forget to salt inside the belly and in the cuts, which makes the fish taste a bit tired despite fine sides.

And then there is the yogurt sauce. Don’t grate the horseradish several hours in advance if you want bite. It loses its liveliness pretty fast. Grate it when you’re making the sauce anyway.

Variations and Adaptations

If you want to take the recipe in a more southern direction you can swap the dill for parsley and add capers to the cucumber salad. If you want to keep it even more Nordic, you can serve it with boiled new potatoes, butter-tossed peas and a bit of extra horseradish. If you only have fillets, the seasoning still works, but shorten the grilling time considerably and start with the skin side down almost the whole way.

For those who want to cook more greens alongside, there is plenty of inspiration in the BBQLovers recipe archive, but I think this is a dish that benefits from not being over-furnished.

Why This Recipe Works

Whole sea bass works well on the grill because skin, bones and belly together protect the meat from the dry heat. The skin takes the first blow from the embers, while the bone helps hold structure and juiciness. The cuts in the skin let the heat go in more evenly and let the salt and oil reach further than just the surface. Medium heat is crucial, because it gives the skin time to set and get color without the proteins in the fish flesh contracting too quickly.

The horseradish yogurt and the cucumber salad also do their job technically, not just flavor-wise. The fat in the yogurt rounds off the horseradish, the acidity lifts the mild flavor of the fish and the cucumber adds watery crispness as a contrast to the warm flesh. Dill and lemon tie everything together in a flavor track that feels both classic and obvious. When you also stop at around 133°F, the sea bass keeps its juiciness, and then the whole dish becomes light, clean and a lot more than just “fish on the grill”.

FAQ

Do I have to use a fish basket?

No, but it makes the job considerably easier. Especially if you’re grilling whole fish and don’t want to risk it breaking when you turn it.

What temperature should sea bass reach?

Around 133°F next to the backbone is a good guideline for whole sea bass. Then the flesh is juicy and just done.

Can I make the recipe with fillets?

Yes. You need a shorter grilling time then, usually just a few minutes per side depending on thickness. Start with the skin side down.

What do I do if the fish sticks?

Wait a little longer. Fish that has the right surface often releases by itself. Also check that the grate was clean, hot and oiled from the start.

What goes well with it?

New potatoes, grilled bread, the cucumber salad from the recipe and something cool to drink are hard to complain about.

The great thing about whole grilled fish is that it looks a bit festive but is actually quite uncomplicated once you relax. And that is often when the grilling turns out best, when you go from trying to control everything to actually cooking the food.