Pan Seared Sea Bass Lemon (Printable Version)
Light, crispy sea bass paired with a tangy lemon caper butter sauce for a refined dinner.
# What You Need:
→ Fish
01 - 4 sea bass fillets (5-6 oz each), skin on, patted dry
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Lemon Caper Butter Sauce
05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
07 - 1 small shallot, finely minced
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
11 - Zest of ½ lemon
# How to Make It:
01 - Season sea bass fillets evenly on both sides with kosher salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
03 - Place fillets skin-side down in skillet, pressing gently with a spatula for even contact. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes until skin is crisp and golden.
04 - Flip fillets carefully and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes until fish is opaque and flakes easily. Transfer to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil.
05 - Reduce heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon butter and minced shallot to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Stir in garlic and capers, cooking for 30 seconds while stirring.
07 - Add lemon juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Swirl skillet until butter melts and sauce slightly emulsifies.
08 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and lemon zest.
09 - Spoon lemon caper butter sauce over sea bass fillets and serve immediately.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The skin gets genuinely crispy, which sounds simple until you nail it and realize it changes everything about eating fish.
- You're done in under thirty minutes, so it works for both Tuesday nights and dinner parties without the stress.
- Lemon and capers are a partnership that makes the fish taste like the best version of itself, nothing masks it.
02 -
- Patting the fish dry and waiting for the oil to truly shimmer are the two non-negotiable moves that determine whether your skin ends up golden or rubbery.
- Don't walk away during the sear—four minutes might sound short, but that's everything, and a watched pan gives you the judgment call you need about when to flip.
03 -
- Buy your sea bass the day you're cooking it if you can, and ask the fishmonger to leave the skin on; it makes a difference.
- The butter needs to be cold when you start the sauce—room temperature butter won't emulsify as cleanly, and the sauce will look greasy.