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Seared sea bass, skin side up, on a bed of fennel sprigs with salsa on top.
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5 from 4 votes

Pan Seared Sea Bass Recipe

This Pan Seared Sea Bass is drizzled with a buttery Lemon Pepper Sauce and adorned with a Fennel Stir-Fry. Together, these elements make for a beautiful presentation. Quick and easy, this healthy main course is perfect for casual entertaining and also great on busy weeknights.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 minutes
Total Time19 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fish for dinner party, recipes with sea bass
Servings: 4
Calories:

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 (approximately 6-ounce) sea bass fillets, skin on
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • ½ cup small dice fennel bulb washed, dried
  • ½ cup small dice red bell pepper washed, dried
  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Sear the fish

  • Add the olive oil to a large skillet (ideally cast iron), and preheat it over high heat on the stove. (If you can't comfortably fit all 4 fillets with space between them, do two at a time.)
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper. Skin side down, gently lay the fillets in the pan. As they start to hit the pan, you should hear a strong sizzling sound. If you don’t, let the pan get hotter. If the pan isn't hot enough, the skin won't brown and become crisp.
    4 (approximately 6-ounce) sea bass fillets,
  • After about 3 minutes, the skin side should be golden and crispy. Turn the heat to medium, flip the fillets over to finish the cooking for about 1 minute, with the skin side up.
  • Remove the fillets from the pan and set them aside on a serving platter and cover lightly with foil. (If your pan only fits 2 fillets, add the second two right away, while the pan is still very hot.)

Make the sauce and vegetables

  • With the heat still at medium, add the butter, lemon juice, pepper, and a sprinkle of salt to the pan. Let the butter melt and brown it by cooking it for another couple minutes. Spoon a bit of this lemon pepper sauce of each fillet, leaving about half of it in the pan. If you don't want the fennel stir fry, drizzle all of the lemon pepper sauce over the fish and you're done.
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the onion, peppers and fennel to the pan. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Season with salt and pepper to taste, spoon it over the fish and serve.
    ½ cup finely chopped yellow onion, ½ cup small dice fennel bulb, ½ cup small dice red bell pepper

Notes

Calorie count is only an estimate.