Pan-Roasted Sea Bass with Edamame, Chive, Pomegranate & ROE Caviar
Sea bass makes an elegant dinner but can be intimidating to cook. I've broken down step-by-step how to cook sea bass for perfectly flaky fish every time.
In a blender or food processor, process all of the Edamame Purée ingredients until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Rinse the sea bass and pat dry. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of oil over medium-high heat until hot just starting to smoke. Season each fillet with salt and pepper. Sear both fillets skin side down while pressing flat with a metal spatula to prevent curling, about 2 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the middle of a pre-heated oven and roast until just cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
While the fish cooks, whisk together 2 tsp lemon juice and 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a bowl. Stir in 1 Tbsp chives. Season with salt and pepper.
Return the skillet with the fish to the burner over medium-high heat and add 2 Tbsp butter. Add 1 Tbsp lemon juice and baste the fish with the lemon butter 3 or 4 times.
To serve, spoon some of the edamame purée onto a plate and spread into a circle using the back of the spoon. Place a piece of sea bass in the middle of the plate skin side up. Spoon some of the chive vinaigrette over the fish, top with some ROE caviar, and garnish with a few pomegranate seeds.
Serve immediately.
Notes
The secret to the crispiest fish starts on the stove and finishes in the oven. Use a heavy-bottomed pan with an even coating of neutral oil (like grapeseed) and get it very hot over medium-high heat.While the pan heats, dry the fish by patting it with paper towels. Just before cooking, season with salt and pepper – but not before or else you will draw out moisture.Once the oil just barely starts to smoke, it’s good to go. Add the fish and immediately press down with a spatula to prevent it from curling. After a few minutes, transfer the skillet to middle of a 425°F pre-heated oven and roast until just cooked.The fish should be beautifully white with a deeply crisped skin.This post was created in partnership with ROE Caviar. All thoughts and opinions are my own.