Description
This black sea bass recipe creates a delicate, flaky fish with beautifully crisp, golden skin. It’s an easy, healthy, and restaurant-quality meal perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 4 fillets (180 g (6 oz) each) black sea bass, skin-on and scaled
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 3 g (0.5 tsp) fine sea salt
- 1 g (0.25 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
- 60 ml (0.25 cup) fresh lemon juice (from 1–2 lemons)
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh orange juice
- 10 g (1 tbsp) finely grated lemon zest
- 5 g (0.5 tbsp) finely grated orange zest
- 15 g (3 tbsp) finely chopped fresh dill
- 10 g (2 tbsp) finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) pure honey or maple syrup
- 5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
- 0.5 g (0.125 tsp) red pepper flakes (optional)
- Fresh lemon wedges & dill sprigs, for serving and garnish
Instructions
- Pat the Fish Dry: Gently pat the black sea bass fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Whisk the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, orange juice, lemon zest, orange zest, chopped fresh dill, chopped fresh parsley, minced garlic, honey (or maple syrup), Dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes (if using) until well combined.
- Heat the Pan: Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil in a large, non-stick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Carefully place the black sea bass fillets, skin-side down, into the hot skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, pressing gently with a spatula, until the skin is golden brown and crisp.
- Flip and Finish: Flip the fillets carefully to the flesh side. Immediately brush each fillet generously with about half of the prepared citrus-herb glaze. Continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes, or until the black sea bass is opaque throughout and flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve and Garnish: Remove the cooked black sea bass fillets from the skillet and transfer them to individual serving plates. Drizzle each fillet with the remaining citrus-herb glaze. Garnish each plate with a small sprig of fresh dill and a fresh lemon wedge.
Notes
Patting the fish dry is crucial for crispy skin. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Reduce heat slightly if glaze is browning too fast. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan-Searing
- Cuisine: General
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 fillet
- Calories: 300 calories
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg