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    Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Mediterranean Style

    Published March 30, 2022. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    This incredibly flavored pan seared Chilean sea bass is served with Mediterranean-style vegetables and is finished with fresh basil. You won’t believe how fast this restaurant-style recipe comes together.

    I absolutely love seafood and eat it whenever I can. If you are looking to try out a few new fish dishes, then for sure make my tasty Sicilian Style Swordfish or Honey Garlic Salmon.

    pan seared chilean sea bass with vegetables


     

    Chilean Sea Bass

    Chilean sea bass is caught in deep waters in and around southern oceans near Antarctica. It is a buttery, firm, mildly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth fish that pairs with just about anything. It is snow-white in color and can be eaten with or without the skin. 

    You can grill, broil, bake, pan-sear, or poach it. Chilean sea bass is a bit of an overfished species and is often very expensive.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    ingredients to make a pan seared chilean sea bass
    • Oil – Any neutral flavored oil will work.
    • Butter – unsalted butter helps to brown the fish, add flavor, and assists on releasing it from the pan.
    • Sea Bass – Use fresh, skin on sea bass for this recipe.
    • Tomatoes – I prefer to use cherry tomatoes as they are decent all year long.
    • Peppers – Use roasted red peppers for this recipe.
    • Olives – I like a combination of kalamata and Frescatrano olives.
    • Shallots – Small diced shallots will help add a lot of flavors.
    • Garlic – Finely diced garlic will take the sauce to the next level.
    • Potatoes – I use baby Yukon gold and red potatoes, but any baby potatoes will do.
    • Basil – Finish the sauce with fresh basil, but if it is not available then use half the amount of dry.
    • White Wine – You can use chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc, and hit will help deglaze the pan.

    How to Make Mediterranean Style Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass

    Use these easy-to-follow instructions and pictures to make this perfect Pan Seared Halibut recipe:

    Add olive oil to a large saucepan over high heat and sear the baby potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes.

    pan roasting baby potatoes

    Next, add in the onions and cook for a further minute before adding in the garlic, olives, peppers, and tomatoes and sautéing for 2 more minutes.

    pan roasting vegetables

    Deglaze with white wine and cook for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and fold in fresh basil. Set aside.

    adding fresh basil to vegetables

    Pat the sea bass down with paper towels and then season both sides with salt and pepper.

    patting dry chilean sea bass

    Add some oil to a large frying pan and heat over high heat until it begins to lightly smoke.

    oil smoking in a pan

    Place in the sea bass, turn the heat down to medium to medium-high, add in some butter and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked throughout.

    pan-seared sea bass

    Serve the fish with the Mediterranean olive and potatoes mixture.

    adding cooked sea bass to mediterranean ingredients

    Alternate Cooking Methods

    For grilling the sea bass, please follow these instructions:

    • After patting the fish dry with paper towels, coat it in oil, salt, and pepper.
    • Cook on a hot grill (500° to 600°) for 5-6 minutes per side. Rest for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
    grilling sea bass

    Here is how you bake the sea bass:

    • Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then coat it in oil, salt, and pepper.
    • Pour on some melted butter and bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes. Rest for 1 to 2 minutes before serving.
    baked chilean sea bass

    Make-Ahead and Storage

    Make-Ahead: You can keep warm covered in a pan for up to 15 minutes before serving, but this recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done being cooked.

    How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

    How to Reheat: Place the desired number of sea bass with Mediterranean-style base sauce in a pan and heat in the oven at 350° for 5-6 minutes or until hot.

    Chef Billy Parisi

    chef notes + tips

    • You can use frozen sea bass; just be sure it’s completely thawed before using.
    • This recipe is very versatile so just about any fish will work with the Mediterranean style base ingredients.
    • The other options for tomatoes would be Roma tomatoes and then canned san Marzano.
    • If you cannot find baby potatoes, substitute in fingerlings.
    pan seared chilean sea bass on mediterranean style vegetables

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    Let's Cook - Chef Billy Parisi

    Video

    Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Mediterranean Style

    5 from 7 votes
    This incredibly flavored pan seared Chilean sea bass is served with Mediterranean style vegetables and is finished with fresh basil.
    Servings: 4
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes

    Ingredients 

    For the Mediterranean Vegetables

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 pound baby potatoes, sliced in half
    • 1 peeled and thinly sliced shallots
    • 3 finely minced garlic cloves
    • 10 kalamata olives, sliced in half
    • 10 Frescatrano olives, sliced in half
    • 2 julienne roasted red bell peppers
    • 15-20 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
    • ½ cup white wine.
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
    • salt and pepper to taste

    For the Sea Bass

    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 2 teaspoons unsalted butter
    • 4 8- ounce skin on fresh Chilean sea bass fillets
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Add the olive oil to a large sauce pan over high heat. Once it begins to smoke sear the baby potatoes for 3 to 4 minutes stirring occasionally.
    • Next, add in the shallots and cook for a 1 minute before adding in the garlic, olives, peppers, and tomatoes and sautéing for 2 more minutes.
    • Deglaze with white wine and cook for 2 minutes, season with salt and pepper, and fold in fresh basil. Set aside.
    • Pat the sea bass down with paper towels and then season both sides with salt and pepper.
    • Add the oil to a large frying pan and heat over high heat until it begins to lightly smoke.
    • Place in the sea bass, turn the heat down to medium to medium-high, add in some butter and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked throughout.
    • Serve the fish with the Mediterranean olive and potatoes mixture.

    Notes

    Make-Ahead: You can keep warm covered in a pan for up to 15 minutes before serving, but this recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done being cooked.
     
    How to Store: Cover and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
    How to Reheat: Place the desired number of sea bass with Mediterranean style base sauce in a pan and heat in the oven at 350° for 5-6 minutes or until hot.
    You can use frozen sea bass; just be sure it’s completely thawed before using.
    This recipe is very versatile so just about any fish will work with these Mediterranean-style base ingredients.
    The other options for tomatoes would be Roma tomatoes and then canned san Marzano.
    If you cannot find baby potatoes, substitute in fingerlings.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 472kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 13gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 624mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 775IUVitamin C: 47mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 2mg
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mediterranean