Basa Fillet Recipe with Creamy Tuscan Sauce
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The creamy basa fillet recipe with it’s Tuscan inspired sauce is rich, whilst still being super light and summery, thanks to the sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice and tangy creme fraiche.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
This basa fillet recipe is one of the first recipes I ever published and has been a staple in my house ever since.
Cooking the basa fillets within the Tuscan sauce means that flavours infuse into the fish, and the fish also gives flavour to the sauce. A win win for the tastebuds, but also for the cleanup afterwards!
This is my favourite basa fish recipe that I’ve ever created. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or impressive enough to cook up for friends at a dinner party.
My friend and her boyfriend sent two individual 30 second voice notes talking about how much they loved it, so that’s given me faith that hopefully you’ll love it too!
Here are some other Tuscan inspired recipes for you to try, after this one … Creamy Tuscan Inspired Rigatoni with Pork Mince and One Pot Creamy Tuscan Gnocchi
What is basa fish/fillet?
Basa is a type of catfish belonging to the Pangasiidae family. I love using basa fish in my recipes as it’s cheaper than other white fish such as cod and haddock. The fish is a great source of lean protein and are also packed with omega-3, so this is a great healthy recipe to add into your rotation!
Other fish recipes you might also love… Simple Fish Amok Curry, Spicy Tomato and Coconut Cod Curry and Soy Salmon Stir Fry with Rainbow Noodles
Ingredients
Basa Fillets
One of my favourite ingredients to poach within a sauce. You can also switch the basa fillets with any unsmoked/normal white fish.
Sun-dried tomatoes
Not only do the sun-dried tomatoes provide a sweet brightness to the sauce (hello Tuscan inspired flavours), we also use the oil within the jar to saute the onions in. This provides the best base for our basa fillet recipe. Don’t skip out this ingredient!
Spinach
I love the addition of spinach into a creamy sauce. You can also use other greens here, such as kale or cavolo nero.
Creme Fraiche
The creme fraiche adds a tanginess to the sauce that cream wouldn’t provide. It’s what makes the sauce creamy, whilst still being bright and summery.
Lemon
It would be wrong to write a recipe revolving around a white fish without lemon! Alongside the tanginess of the creme fraiche, this also adds another level of brightness to the creamy tuscan sauce.
Parsley
Parsley is optional, but I think it adds an extra burst of flavour to finish with. Traditionally a Tuscan sauce would be topped with basil, so you could also sub with that!
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
How to cook basa fillets
- Start by adding the brown rice to a medium saucepan with double the amount of water (rice to water ratio 1:2). Bring to a simmer and set the timer to 25 minutes (Image 1).
- Using a large/deep frying pan, add the sun-dried tomato oil and the thinly sliced onion, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper (Image 2).
3. Gently fry on a medium heat for around 4 minutes. Next, add the minced garlic, dried basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue to fry for a couple of minutes (Image 3).
4. The rice should now be ready (Image 4).
5. Pour the stock into the pan (Image 5).
6. Then place the defrosted basa fillets (seasoned with salt on both sides) into the pan. It doesn’t matter if they aren’t completely submerged. Reduce the heat to a low simmer (Image 6).
7. After simmering for around 10 minutes remove from heat, add the creme fraiche, lemon juice and spinach into the pan (Image 7).
8. Season with salt and pepper and serve a portion of brown rice with the creamy basa fillets. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy! (Image 8).
Tips and Tricks
- Use a deep pan with a wide base, ideally one that distributes the heat well around the pan. This will ensure that you have enough surface area to place all of the basa fillets into the pan without stacking them on top of each other, which will mean they’re all submerged in the delicious stock that we’ve made.
- Defrost the basa fillets ahead of time, if possible. This will mean that you can season the fillets with salt and pepper before adding them into the pan, which will mean that the fish is even more flavourful. It also reduces the cook time, as you’re not putting a frozen fillet into hot water.
- If you’re making this recipe for meal prep, ensure that you refrigerate your rice as soon as it’s cool enough to pop in the fridge. This will prevent any of the risks when reheating rice.
Other easy dinner recipes for you to try … Chilli Oil Udon Stir Fry, Sun-Dried Tomato and Orzo Salad and Vegan Mac n Cheese
FAQs
Yes absolutely! I love how balanced this basa fish recipe is, so I love using it for meal prep. Divide into individual servings and store the parsley separately. When it’s time to eat, reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes and top with parsley and an optional extra squeeze of lemon.
Yes you can! Freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave to thaw in the fridge overnight and follow the instructions to reheat above. The packet for my frozen basa fillets says to not re-freeze, but I’ve done this soo many times and nothing has ever gone wrong! So this might be a judgment call for you on this one.
If you tried this Basa Fillet recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Basa Fillet Recipe with Creamy Tuscan Sauce
Ingredients
- 450 g basa fillets (£3.55)
- 50 g sun-dried tomatoes (£1.15/4)=(£0.29)
- 150 ml creme fraiche (£1.15/2)=(£0.57)
- 2 large handfuls spinach (£1.00/4)=(£0.25)
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced (£0.65/3)=(£0.22)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (£0.75/3)=(£0.25)
- 300 g brown rice, cooked according to packet instructions (£1.45)
- ½ lemon, juiced (£0.20)
- 1 handful fresh parsley (£0.50)
CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS
- 600 ml fish stock
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp of dried basil
- Salt & Pepper
Method
*DEFROST THE BASA FILLETS OVERNIGHT IN THE FRIDGE*
- Add the brown rice to a medium saucepan with double the amount of water (rice to water ratio 1:2). Bring to a simmer and set the timer to 25 minutes.
- Start by adding the sun-dried tomato oil into a large/deep frying pan. Add the thinly sliced onion, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently fry on a medium heat for around 4 minutes.
- Next, add the minced garlic, dried basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Continue to fry for a couple of minutes.
- Pour the stock into the pan and place the defrosted basa fillets (seasoned with salt on both sides) into the pan. It doesn't matter if they aren't completely submerged. Reduce the heat to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Cover with a lid.
- After this time, add the creme fraiche, lemon juice and spinach into the pan. Season with salt and pepper and serve a portion of brown rice with the creamy basa fillets. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a deep pan with a wide base for even heat distribution and to ensure all basa fillets are submerged in the stock.
- Defrost the basa fillets beforehand to season them with salt and pepper, enhancing flavor and reducing cook time.
- Refrigerate cooked rice promptly for meal prep to avoid risks associated with reheating rice.
Nutrition
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