Sea Bass with Beurre Blanc (pan-seared)

Sea bass with beurre blanc is a restaurant-worthy meal that couldn’t be easier to make. A superb fish, sea bass is lean, mild, and versatile – the perfect choice for when you’re craving seafood, but don’t want the hassle that can accompany cooking delicate fish. While its versatility lends itself to multiple cooking methods, this sea bass recipe calls for quick pan-searing, yielding a crispy skin with a firm, succulent interior. Served with a luscious and smooth beurre blanc sauce, it’s a shockingly simple yet refined pairing. 

Ingredients in This Recipe 

For the sea bass:

• 2 sea bass fillets (see notes)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 15 ml or 1 tbsp cooking oil (see notes)

For the beurre blanc:

• A half glass of white wine
• 15 ml or 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 15 ml or 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 
• 1 small shallot – finely minced
• Lemon zest
• 125 g or 8 tbsp butter cut into cubes 
• Chives for garnish minced finely

What is Sea Bass?

The sea bass in this recipe is the European sea bass. An ocean-dwelling fish, it’s native to the coastal waters of northern and western Europe and North Africa. A member of the Moronidae family, sea bass is highly prized in France, where it’s known as filet de bar. Though not found natively in North America, it’s frequently sold there under its Italian name, branzino. 

With a mild flavor and firm yet flaky texture, sea bass isn’t unlike other white fish such as cod, haddock, and halibut. It’s super easy to cook. Plus, you’ll get a fine dining experience without leaving home. Sea bass fillets are perfect for anyone looking for a tried-and-true fish recipe!

That said, numerous types of fish around the world make use of the sea bass name. But not all are the real deal. I’m looking at you Chilean Sea Bass (which is actually Patagonian Toothfish). 

How Is Sea Bass Best Cooked?

Methods of cooking sea bass include grilling, baking, broiling, pan-searing, and steaming. It can also feature in soups and stews.

The delicate nature of fish can be intimidating. But the great thing about fish, and sea bass is no exception, is that by preparing it in simple ways using simple ingredients not only allows the fish to be the star of the show, but removes some of the intimidation factor. 

Why Pan-Searing Sea Bass Works So Well

Pan-searing is my go-to. And I like a stainless steel pan. By searing the fish skin-side down, you get a protective barrier between the hot pan and delicate fish. Better yet, you get a deliciously crispy, caramelized skin! What’s more, pan-searing is:

• quick and easy
• creates a flavorful contrast between the crispy skin and flaky meat
• and gives you complete control of the cooking process by allowing you to observe the fish. 

Have I mentioned the skin? I feel like I should mention the skin again. Look. At. It!  

Keep in mind, before cooking the fish, there’s one simple step that’s crucial for success.  Season the sea bass to taste and leave it uncovered at room temperature for one to two hours, skin-side down on kitchen paper on a plate. This not only imparts flavor, but also helps to dry the fish out before cooking by drawing out moisture. Too much moisture in the fish risks steaming it, which won’t enable a good sear. It also reduces the cooking time and ensures that cold fish doesn’t drop the temperature of the pan, which could cause the fish to stick.

Why Serve Beurre Blanc with Fish?

A simple sauce to pair with fish is a must for anyone’s culinary repertoire. Beurre blanc is that sauce. A staple of French cuisine, beurre blanc is made by emulsifying butter into a reduction of white wine, vinegar, shallots, and some herbs of your choice. Far from daunting, all it really requires of you is a bit of patience and the ability to stir. 

Beurre blanc is typically seasoned with salt and pepper and may include herbs such as thyme or rosemary. For a sauce that’s bursting with flavor and freshness, I like to squeeze in a little lemon juice and add a bit of zest, too!

It pairs so well with fish because its luscious, buttery flavor complements the delicate taste of seafood without overpowering it. The acidity from the vinegar and wine in the sauce helps cut through the richness of the butter and enhances the overall flavor of the dish.

What to drink with this seabass with beurre blanc? Discover which wines pair best with seafood and fish dishes!

Take me there!

Sea Bass with Beurre Blanc (pan-seared)

Sea bass with beurre blanc is a restaurant-worthy meal that couldn’t be easier to make. A superb fish, sea bass is lean, mild, and versatile. This sea bass recipe calls for pan-searing, yielding a crispy skin while preserving a firm, succulent interior in a matter of minutes. Served with a luscious and smooth beurre blanc sauce, it’s a shockingly simple yet refined pairing that’ll tickle your taste buds. 

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine European, French

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• 1 Stainless steel pan
• 1 Whisk
• 1 Fine mesh sieve
• 1 Small pot

Ingredients

  

Sea Bass

• 2 sea bass fillets see notes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) sunflower Oil see notes

Beurre Blanc

• 1/2 glass white wine
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) white wine vinegar
• 1 shallot or small onion finely minced
• lemon zest to taste
• 125 g (8 tablespoons) butter cubed
• diced chives for garnish

Instructions

 

Sea Bass

• Preheat the oven to 50 degrees Celsius / 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• Preheat the pan over medium to medium-high heat, preferably stainless steel or cast-iron. Once the pan is hot, add the cooking oil. Keep in mind, the oil will heat fast. (see notes)
• Pat dry the sea bass to absorb any remaining moisture.
• Add the sea bass to the pan. Once you see wisps of smoke rising from the oil, place the fish in the pan skin-side down (or where the skin used to be). Once in the pan, press down on the fish with a spatula or a weight for about 10 seconds. As the fish skin will inherently curl up when touching the hot pan, this will ensure the skin makes maximum contact with the pan while it cooks.
• Cook the fish about 95% of the way through, about 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. The bottom of the fish should begin to caramelize while the meat should be mostly white, with just a few hints of pink in the middle. At this point, using a fish spatula, flip the fish, let the other side “kiss” the pan, and turn the heat off. The non-skin side of the fish only needs a few seconds in order to finish cooking.
• Remove the fish from the pan and place in the preheated oven. Because the temperature of the oven is lower than the fish, the fish won’t continue to cook.

Beurre Blanc

• Preheat the pan. In the same pan as the fish, discard the oil and wipe out any excess. Place the pan on medium-high heat.
• Add the shallot, white wine, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce the mixture until there’s about 1-2 tablespoons of liquid left in the pan. Whisk in the lemon zest.
• Whisk in butter (one cube at a time). Drop the heat to low and whisk in one cube of butter. Whisk the butter until it’s fully emulsified. Add another cube and continue whisking until it’s emulsified. Continue this way until you’ve added all the butter, whisking constantly the entire time. The sauce should be thick and creamy and coat the back of a spoon. (see notes)
• Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small pot (optional)
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

* Can’t find sea bass? I’ve tested this recipe on cod and tilapia (both skin off) with equally delicious results. Cod can be quite delicate, though. So follow the same procedure of pre seasoning 1-2 hours prior to cooking and absorbing all moisture from the fish. But, with cod, lightly flour the fish just before searing to better avoid any issue of sticking.

* I use sunflower oil in this recipe due to its higher smoke point, but avocado oil and canola oil would work, as well. I’ve even used extra virgin olive oil with excellent results. It’s true that extra virgin olive oil’s lower smoke point makes other oils a better choice for searing. But these fillets cook seriously fast, avoiding any major issue with smoke and burning. Just keep in mind, depending on the thickness of the fillets and your budget, you may prefer a sturdier, more budget-friendly oil.

* There are a few keys to cooking fish in a stainless steel pan – medium high heat, hot pan, dry fish, and time. If you’re not sure whether the pan is hot enough, before adding the cooking oil, drop a teaspoon of water into the pan. If it bubbles and steams, it isn’t hot enough. Wait another minute. Drop another teaspoon of water into the pan. It should glide around the surface like a ball of mercury. Now add the cooking oil, and when you see wisps of smoke rising from the oil, add the fish.

* For the beurre blanc sauce, too much heat can break the sauce. Keep it low and steady. Adding too much butter at once can prevent the sauce from emulsifying, so add the butter one cube at a time. Stir constantly to maintain emulsion. All said and done, this beurre blanc came together in about 15 minutes.

Keyword Beurre Blanc, Sea Bass

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