There is a classic Chinese film about a widowed father trying to find a husband for his daughter. The father does the household cooking and sea bass stuffed with slivers of garlic and ginger is one of his favourite dishes. His daughter hates how he cooks the sea bass but he persists. There was another film starring Hayley Mills where she is offered the same herring on a plate day after day but I forget the name of this film too.

Enough on fish in films!

We had sea bass last Friday. The fish were gutted but left whole with just a few slivers of garlic and ginger put in their vents. The fish were then dusted in seasoned flour and fried in a large pan with a little olive oil for 10 minutes (turned once just more than half way through cooking). The skin came off but the white flesh beneath is a revelation. Anyone anxious to keep the skin on could try grilling the fish or cooking it in the oven wrapped in foil.

Fried slices of spring onion and finely chopped red chilli add to the dish. Serve with soya sauce and a simple green vegetable.