Best Chilean Sea Bass
Silky sea bass fillets with golden sear and silky lemon-caper beurre blanc. 20-minute Michelin-level elegance.
Ingredients
- For the Sea Bass & Sear:
- 4 Chilean sea bass fillets 6 oz / 170 g each
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- For the Lemon-Caper Beurre Blanc:
- ½ cup 120 ml dry white wine
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 small shallot minced
- ½ cup 113 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 2 tbsp capers rinsed
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Pat fillets dry; season with salt + pepper. Rest 10 min.
- Reduce wine + lemon + shallot to 2 tbsp syrup.
- Sear fish presentation-side down 4–5 min until golden.
- Flip + butter baste 1–2 min to 130–135 °F internal.
- Off heat, whisk cold butter into reduction cube by cube.
- Stir in capers + zest; adjust salt.
- Rest fish 1 min on towel.
- Plate over sauce with microgreens + lemon.
Notes
- Dry fillets twice = perfect golden crust.
- Pull at 130 °F—carryover to 140 °F for silky flake.
- Cold butter + low heat = unbroken beurre blanc.
- Sustainable swap: Black cod or halibut same timing.
- GF naturally; no flour needed.
- Make sauce ahead—re-whisk gently over warm water.