Sea Bass Recipe with Basil Oil

5 from 1 vote

This sea bass recipe uses a no-flip method for perfectly crispy skin. It's all done in one pan with fresh basil oil & blistered tomatoes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: mains

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Low Calorie

Servings:

Calories: 351kcal

Preheat grill to 200°C/400°F.
Pat the sea bass fillets with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
To a food processor, add 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, a handful of fresh basil, the juice of half a lemon, 2 cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper.
In a cast-iron pan, add 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
Place the sea bass skin-side down and leave to fry for around 3 minutes, or until crispy. Remove from the pan, then add another tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Place the courgettes score-side down and add the cherry tomatoes into the pan.
Fry for 3 minutes, then rotate the courgettes and stir the tomatoes in the pan. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Add the sea bass back into the pan, skin facing down and brush with a little basil oil. Add the olives into the pan too, then pop under the grill for 10-15 minutes.
Finish with the remaining basil oil, lemon wedges, black pepper and optional chilli flakes. Dig in!

Always pat the fish completely dry before it goes in the pan or you'll lose that crispy skin.
The basil oil sauce can be made ahead of time & left in the fridge so the flavours have time to come together.
Wait until you can see crispy edges on the skin before you lift the fish off the stovetop. If it sticks when you try to move it, give it another 30 seconds - it'll release on its own when it's ready.
Keep a close eye on the pan once it goes under the grill because the tomatoes & olives can go from perfectly blistered to burnt surprisingly quickly.