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We eat a lot of seafood in our house. So my challenge is to come up with different recipes to enjoy the catch of the day. The recipe for this Pesto Topped Chilean Sea Bass combines so many cooking ideas that I like and that really enhance the final dish. The fish is cooked for a crispy skin and a light, flaky finish. It is served over a garlic white wine sauce coated pasta. The final plating tops the Chilean sea bass with a fresh, vibrant and zesty pesto sauce. The pesto sauce adds great flavor and a super color punch for the final plating. Pesto is very versatile and a few previous recipes included A SUNDRIED TOMATO TOPPED SEA BASS, PESTO ZOODLES and a PASTA PESTO BAKE.
Pesto Topped Chilean Sea Bass
One key in working with all proteins and certainly seafood is buying fillets that are similar in size. When you go to the seafood counter at your local grocery store, and pick out your fish, insist on similar sized fillets. The butcher will be happy to help you and will actually know why you are asking. When you bring them home for cooking, all the fillets will then cook evenly. They also will look so much better for plating and serving because all guests will have a similar sized piece of a sea bass.
The Chilean Sea Bass was cooked in 2 stages. I started the sea bass in a cast iron skillet skin side down to get a good crisp on the skin. I flipped the fish over and moved it to a 325 degree oven. The fish comes out firm and flaky. Prior to serving, feel free to take some of the garlic wine sauce that the pasta will be dressed in and spoon it on the fish. Obviously, this adds moisture but infuses the whole dish with flavor.
The cast of characters.
Ingredients
Spicing the Chilean Sea Bass.
The Similar Sized Chilean Sea Bass Fillets
Building the white wine garlic sauce and the Chilean Sea Bass in a cast iron skillet.
The white wine garlic sauce and the Chilean Sea Bass in a cast iron skillet
The Pesto Topped Chilean Sea Bass Plated.
Pesto Topped Chilean Sea Bass Plated
Pest Topped Chilean Sea Bass
Always ask the butcher at the seafood counter to cut similar fillets to ensure even cooking. This Pesto Topped Chilean Sea Bass exemplifies this concept.
Ingredients
Chilean Sea Bass
- 16 Ounces Chilean Sea Bass cut into 4 ounce fillets
- 2 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Pesto
- 1 Cup Packed Fresh Basil
- 1/4 Cup Almonds
- 1 Clove Garlic rough chop
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1/8 Cup Grated Parmesan
Pasta - White Wine Garlic Sauce
- 1 LB Gluten Free Spaghetti
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup White Wine
- 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
- 12 Ounces Grape Tomatoes
Instructions
Pesto Sauce
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Place all the ingredients in a blender except for the oil. Begin blending and then drizzling in the olive oil until the desired texture is created.
Chilean Sea Bass
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Season the portioned Sea Bass fillets. Heat a cast iron skillet on medium high heat and add the oil. Once shimmering, add the fillets skin side down and raise heat to high. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes. Move cast iron skillet to a 325 degree oven and continue cooking for 6 - 8 minutes - until fish is flaky.
Pasta in White Wine Garlic Sauce
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Prepare the pasta according to the box instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
In a skillet heat the oil on medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minutes to release the flavor. Add in the lemon juice and stir in well. Add in the white wine and reduce slightly. Add in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes - just until the tomatoes begin to blister.
Take the pasta and add to the garlic white wine sauce. Add in the reserved pasta liquid. Mix well.
To plate, fill the bowl with the pasta, top with the Chilean Sea Bass and finish by topping with the pesto.
Serve and enjoy!
Made this tonight and was Fab.
– 0.5 lb per fillet, 2 fillets so quite large, we did 20 minutes at 325, covered halfway with foil and a quarter tsp of butter in the pan. Perfect
– waaaaay too much salt, and we love salt. Used only table salt not kosher, I would actually cut in half on pesto, maybe the fish seasoning as well but not sure if that would reduce flakiness
It was literally a date night level 150$ meal otherwise
That warms my heart. I am so glad you liked the recipe, but more particularly, that it was as success for you.