Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Recipe

• Chilean Sea Bass fillets:  I’ve got these at Whole Foods fresh, and at Wegmans frozen. Either way will work! Just be sure to follow the tips below to choose the freshest fish. 
• Ghee: If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter. If you have a dairy allergy or don’t prefer ghee, use vegan butter like Miyokos or Earth Balance. 
• Avocado Oil: You can also use olive oil, just keep in mind that it may cause some smoke in your kitchen! Avocado oil is a better choice due to the high smoke point.
• Lemon: You’ll need the juice from ½ of a lemon. I think fresh lemon juice works best!
• Capers: You can find a small jar at the grocery store- you’ll just need 2 tbsp for this recipe!

1. Pat your sea bass fillets dry and coat on both sides with 1 tbsp avocado oil. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat your oven to 425. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp avocado oil in a cast iron (or another oven-safe skillet) over medium-high heat. When the pan is nice and hot, add the fillets, with the skin side down (if they have skin). Let them cook, untouched, for 5 mins. Flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes. It helps to use a metal spatula to prevent the bottom of the fish from sticking to the pan!
3. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes. The fish should flake easily with a fork at this point.
4. Melt the ghee (or vegan butter) in a saucepan on the stove, or in the microwave. Stir in the lemon juice and capers. Serve the fish over some cauliflower mash and spoon some of the lemon butter caper sauce over top. Enjoy!

The Perfect Side: Creamy Garlic Cauliflower Mash

Ingredients 

• Frozen Cauliflower: I like to get the family-size pack from Wegman’s. 
• Chicken Broth: You can also use chicken stock or bone broth- whatever you have on hand. 
• Ghee: If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to use regular butter. If you have a dairy allergy or don’t prefer ghee, use vegan butter like Miyokos or Earth Balance. 
• Coconut Cream: You can also use just the thick part from a can of coconut milk. I love the Thai Kitchen brand.
• Garlic Powder: You can also use fresh garlic cloves if you prefer!

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the frozen cauliflower. Cook it for 10-15 minutes until you can easily pierce the florets with a fork. 
2. Drain the cauliflower really well and return it to the pot. Add in the chicken broth, coconut milk, garlic powder, and salt. 
3. Use an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor) to blend up the cauliflower until very thick and creamy.

Equipment: I used a 10.25-inch Lodge cast iron skillet to make this fish! I love this pan so much and use it for everything. It effortlessly moves from stovetop to oven and cooks evenly! This fish spatula is also super helpful! Makes it super easy to flip the fish!

Storage: Store leftover fish in an airtight container with the lemon caper sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat and serve with garlic cauliflower mash or one of your favorite sides!

Dairy-Free: If you need this sea bass recipe to be completely dairy-free, use vegan butter like Miyokos, which is one of my favorites. Otherwise, feel free to use ghee, or regular butter if you prefer. 

Fish Substitution: If you want to substitute the Chilean Sea Bass for another type of fish, I recommend using cod or a mild, flaky white fish of your choice. You can pan-sear the fish following the same instructions, and it will pair perfectly with the lemon caper sauce and garlic cauliflower mash!

More Healthy Seafood Recipes

Gluten-Free Baked Feta Pasta with Shrimp

Maple Dijon Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Whole30 Coconut Lime Shrimp

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