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Tonight for dinner my husband and I wanted something that was rich in protein and high in vitamins to meet our clean eating goals for the week. Usually we turn to one of our all time fish favorites – Salmon. Tonight however, we were in the mood for a different type of fish since Salmon is always our safe go to meal. Surprisingly, the store had a sale on Chilean Sea Bass this morning, which rarely happens! So I decided to grab some for our meal this evening. In the past, I’ve shied away from buying filets of Chilean Sea Bass because I found them to be a bit pricey. But since they were on sale, I added them to my grocery cart and contemplated all day how I would prepare these.
I love the texture of Chilean Sea Bass. It’s a white fish that reminds me of Cod. So if you’re unable to find Chilean Sea Bass, this dish would substitute well with Cod. This fish also absorbs flavors very well, and can handle the hardiness of the ingredients in this recipe. In my opinion, cooking Mediterranean Chilean Sea Bass for dinner is the perfect way to clear your refrigerator of left overs! I feel like I always have onions or shallots in the house, and tomatoes that are about to go bad! Before diving into this recipe, I also wanted to share a few tips for cooking this fish:
Tips For Sautéing Chilean Sea Bass
Do not cook with cold filets. The recipe below is a quick pan searing dish. When you’re dealing with hot oil and if you want your filets to cook evenly, give them some time to come up to room temperature right before cooking.
Cooking Pan: I would highly recommend cooking this fish in a non-stick pan. Non-stick pans that are not worn are great for this recipe since it allows you to easily flip the skin or flesh of the fish without it sticking to the bottom of the pan during the cooking process.
Seasoning this Fish: I recommend keeping the seasoning very simple – salt and pepper to taste. The majority of the flavors in this dish will come from the Mediterranean “salsa” that will go on top of the fish after cooking.
How To Know When the Chilean Sea Bass is Done Cooking?: If you’re not comfortable “eyeing” your fish to know if it’s done. I recommend taking a food thermometer and cooking the bass until it reaches an internal temperature between 135 – 145 degrees Fahrenheit (57 – 63 degrees Celsius).
The Recipe
Mediterranean Chilean Sea Bass
Ingredients
- 2 Filets of Chilean Sea Bass
- 2 Medium Shallots sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1/3 cup Cherry Tomatoes sliced
- 1/4 cup Black Olives pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup Roasted Red Peppers chopped
- 1/2 Lemon
- 1 tbsp Capers
- 1/4 cup Dry White Wine
- 1/3 cup Chicken Broth
- Light Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take a nonstick pan over medium high heat and bring up to temperature with 1 tbsp of light olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add and sauté shallots until they are fragrant and slightly translucent. To the pan, add mined garlic and continue to sauté for about 1 minute.
- By now, some sugars from the shallots will begin to stick to the pan. Deglaze the pan by adding around 1/4 cup of dry white wine. Allow ingredients to cook together until the alcohol cooks off. Afterwards, add 1/3 cup of chicken broth. Allow these to come to a simmer.
- Once ingredients begin to simmer, lower heat and add sliced olives, chopped roasted red peppers, capers, and tomatoes. Cover pan with a lid and allow veggies to simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Now is the perfect time to start on your fish.
- Season both sides of room temperature Chilean Sea Bass with salt and pepper to taste. In a separate non-stick pan, heat up light olive oil and place Sea Bass filets inside of pan. If your filets have skin, be sure to place the filets skin side down first. Continue to watch fish to ensure it does not overcook. Once your fish is almost done, flip to the opposite side to allow it to finish cooking. I recommend sautéing your fish until it reaches an internal temperature between 135 – 145 degrees Fahrenheit (57 – 63 degrees Celsius).
- Once fish is done sautéing, remove from pan and plate. The "Mediterranean Salsa" simmering in the other pan should be almost done as well. Remove lid, squeeze in the juice of 1/2 lemon. stir, and taste your salsa. If it needs salt and pepper, this is the time to add it to complete your dish. Once your vegetable toppings are done, take a spoon and drizzle this on top of your Sea Bass. Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition
My Favorite Tools From This Recipe:
Oh my goodness this looks delicious. Would love to make this for my hubby.
Mediterranean Chilean Sea Bass recipe looks sooo yummmyyy. I would love to try on this weekend. Thank you for sharing.
This is a perfect dish to prepare for our family dinner. It looks really delicious and look so easy to cook. YUM!
Oh, wow. That looks absolutely delicious. I love sea bass. It’s such a tasty, flaky fish.
I love bass. Thanks for sharing the recipe
I love fish and am always looking for new recipes. This one looks like a keeper!
Yyyaaayyyyy! I live for anything fish! I must try this or even put together with cod, altogether! Thank you for sharing.
This was a simply wonderful dish. Delicious! The sauce is subtly complex and complementary of the fish rather than overpowering. Thank you for sharing it with us!