Sea Bass Recipe with Garlic Butter
This 15-minute Sea Bass Recipe with Garlic Butter is pan-seared to perfection and basted in a rich butter sauce infused with garlic and fresh herbs. An easy main dish perfect for the light, easy and quick dinner!
Servings: 1 people
Ingredients
- 4 sea bass fillets
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter cubed
- 2 garlic cloves crushed and peeled
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Pat sea bass fillets dry and season with onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking.
- Once heated, reduce the heat to medium and carefully place the sea bass fillets skinned side down in the skillet. Cook the fish without moving it until the underside is light golden brown. It’ll table about 3 to 4 minutes. Using two fish spatulas, gently flip the fillets and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add butter around the fish in the skillet. Once the butter is melted, add crushed garlic and fresh thyme. Tilt the skillet slightly toward you so that the butter pools at the front.
- Using a large spoon, scoop up the melted butter and pour it over the fish repeatedly for 15 seconds. Place the skillet flat on the burner and continue cooking for 30 seconds more. Tilt the skillet again and baste for another 15 seconds.
- Keep the skillet flat on the burner and check the temperature of the thickest part of each fillet. Continue alternating between basting and cooking until the fillets reach an internal temperature of 135°F at the thickest point, which should take approximately 2 minutes more.
- Transfer the cooked fish fillets to individual plates. Discard the garlic cloves and thyme. Top each fillet with some fresh thyme leaves, drizzle with the butter remaining in the skillet, and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- It’s best to go with fillets that are similar in size, so they cook at the same rate.
- Careful not to overcrowd the skillet, or the sea bass will steam instead of sear.
- Be sure to pat the fillets dry with a paper towel to help the seasonings adhere better.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/2 | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 18mg