Do you decide in advance what you want to cook, and shop from a list? Or do you just head to the store to see what looks good? There’s no wrong answer – each approach has its time and place. For many of us who do at least some of our shopping at large chain grocery stores, “what looks good” is not always a factor – meat is wrapped in plastic and produce is out of season and imported, so who can tell? Everything looks the same.
At farmer’s markets, farm stands and small specialty markets it’s easier – and more fun – to stay open to possibilities. The other place to do this is at the fish counter. You might go in thinking you want salmon, but then you see that the salmon looks sad while the sole looks amazing. I’ll start out with a plan, but be ready to pivot to the choice that looks the freshest, or anything that’s special, rare or seasonal.
Take what happened the other day. I was walking past the fish counter on my way to the poultry section to pick up the chicken thighs that were on my list, when I spied these two magnificent Chilean sea bass fillets. Chilean sea bass is a special occasion fish with a price tag to match, and this was just a regular Thursday, but there was no question about what would be on the menu for dinner. Finding sea bass was the occasion worth celebrating, and so we did.
Sea bass has milky white flesh, a mild flavor, and a texture that’s both oily and flaky, so soft I would describe it as creamy. The perfect contrast to that soft creaminess is a crunchy golden crust, achieved by searing in a very hot skillet, preferably cast iron.
Sea bass fillets are usually sold with the skin still on; these were skinned when I bought them, otherwise I would have left the skin on, as that helps to stabilize the delicate fillets during cooking and keep them from falling apart. The technique is easy: Sear the top side of the fillets briefly until golden brown, carefully flip them over, and transfer them to the oven to roast until just cooked through. While the fillets roast, make a quick sauce of white wine and butter to drizzle over them. Finish with a shower of chopped chives for a hit of bright flavor and color.
Hold on to this recipe for the lucky day when Chilean sea bass appears in your market’s fish case – special occasion or no. In the meantime, my first choice for a substitute would be swordfish; cod, haddock, mahi mahi, tilapia and salmon are other options. None of these is nearly as spectacular as the sea bass, but all will work well with both the pan-roasting technique and the sauce. Adjust the roasting time based on the thickness of the fish. (At 450 degrees, fish cooks through at a rate of about 7 or 8 minutes per inch of thickness (including the searing time), but always check with a fork to be sure.)
If you don’t have chives, substitute basil or parsley. If you don’t have a shallot, leave it out and use a little more of the herb to compensate.
This dish is best enjoyed hot out of the pan, so don’t make it ahead or keep leftovers.
Chilean Sea Bass with Chive Beurre Blanc
Ingredients
- 2 Chilean sea bass fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Neutral oil (such as organic, expeller-pressed canola oil)
- 2 tablespoons minced shallot
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces, ¼ cup or ½ stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
Directions
- Step 1 Heat the oven to 450 degrees on the Roast setting. Heat a 10-inch cast iron (or other non-stick, oven-proof) skillet over medium-high heat, until very hot.
- Step 2 Dry the sea bass fillets with a paper towel. Season them with kosher salt and black pepper, and slather them generously on all sides with oil, using your hands.
- Step 3 Spread a very thin layer of oil in the pan, just enough to lightly coat the surface. Lay the fillets in the skillet with the skin side up/presentation side down. (If the skin has been removed, you can tell which side used to have skin by noticing the pattern in the flesh. The skin side is flatter and may have traces of a scale-like pattern, while the presentation side will be curved and may have furrows and ridges.) Sear the fillets without moving them for 3 or 4 minutes, then check them by gently wiggling them loose. I do this with a pair of tongs in one hand gently squeezing the fish, and a thin spatula in the other hand gently nudging underneath it to loosen it without leaving the gorgeous crust behind. If the fish doesn’t come away easily, keep cooking until it does.
- Step 4 As soon as you’re able to turn the fish, turn it with the seared side up and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the fish is cooked through. This should be about 10 more minutes, but depends on how long you seared it, and how thick your fillets are. Fillets that are 2 inches thick should take about 15 minutes total to cook through, including the searing time. To check for done-ness, push the tines of a fork deep into the thickest part of the fillet. If you feel no resistance, the fish is done.
- Step 5 While the fish is roasting, make the beurre blanc. In a small saucepan or skillet, combine the shallots, wine and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and boil until the liquid is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and remove the skillet from the burner for about a minute to cool down. Return the skillet to the heat and whisk in the butter one piece at a time, adding the next piece once the previous one is incorporated. Set the sauce aside but keep the burner turned on low.
- Step 6 When the fish is done, return the sauce to low heat and whisk it briefly to make sure it’s smooth and bring it together if it has started to separate. Season the sauce to taste with kosher salt and pepper.
- Step 7 Transfer the fish to two plates. Pour the sauce over the fish and sprinkle with the chives.
Loved this recipe! Easy to follow directions and we loved the bur blanc sauce!
Thank you, Nita! I really appreciate the feedback that the directions were easy to follow – that’s my goal! I’m so glad to hear it was a success for you.