sea bass

This Brazilian dish may contain a few unexpected or even unfamiliar ingredients, but they are easy to find online and worth the search. The result is a tropical fish stew mellowed by slices of plantain and coconut milk and accompanied by the traditional hot sauce called piri-piri and farofa, the toasted cassava-meal accompaniment. Farofa is served all over South America with all kinds of dishes; this version, with caramelized onions adapted from Felipe Amaral in Rio de Janeiro, was my favorite. You can serve the moqueca without the farofa, if you prefer, but it helps to sop up the soupy liquid from the stew.

Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

unsalted butter

onion,

black sea bass,

shrimp,

Salt

bay leaves

white turnip,

onions

plum tomatoes

shishito peppers, chopped

garlic

cilantro

chives

green plantain

red bell pepper,

green Cubanelle peppers, green frying peppers

coconut milk

octopus

red chile pepper,

long grain rice, steamed

Piri-piri or other hot sauce,

Make the farofa if desired: Melt butter in a skillet or shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add sliced onion, and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Stir in manioc and cook, stirring, 5 to 8 minutes, until it starts to toast. Cover and keep warm.

Make the fish broth: Cut each bass fillet in 4 or 5 pieces, cover and refrigerate. Place trimmings in a 3-quart stovetop casserole, preferably an earthenware pot. Lightly salt shrimp, cover and refrigerate. Place shells in the pot. Add 5 cups water; the bay leaves; the turnip; 2 onions, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; half the shishito peppers; the garlic; and half the cilantro and chives. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a slit in the skin of the plantain, wrap in foil and bake 20 minutes, until flesh is tender. Cool.

Strain broth into a bowl, pressing on the solids. Discard solids and return broth to pot. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups.

Slice remaining tomatoes and remaining onion 1/4 inch thick and add to pot. Add bell peppers, Cubanelle peppers, remaining shishito peppers, remaining chives and all but 1 tablespoon remaining cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Peel plantain and slice it 1/2 inch thick. Add to pot. Add coconut milk and dende oil. Add fish and octopus, if using, and simmer 5 minutes. Rinse and dry shrimp and squid, if using, and add to pot. Simmer 3 minutes. Check seasonings. Strew remaining cilantro on top, garnish with a red chile and serve over rice directly from the pot, with farofa and piri-piri on the side.

This recipe comes from 1998, when Gordon Ramsay was not a known television personality but rather a chef and owner at Aubergine in London. In this dish, which accompanied a piece on British chefs by Molly O’Neill, Mr. Ramsay pairs sea bass with a light vanilla cream foam. Undoubtedly a chef recipe, it’s perhaps not a weeknight dish. But it may very well be your next project.

Gordon Ramsay's Sea Bass With Vanilla-Bean Foam

sea bass (about 2 1/4 pounds), filleted but not skinned

fish stock

vanilla bean

salsify

lemon

butter (2 of them ice-cold for finishing the sauce)

sea salt,

baby fennel bulbs,

thyme

bay leaf

white peppercorns

black peppercorns

coriander seeds

star anise

green cardamom

black pepper

olive oil

cream

Trim the fillets into rectangles. Lightly score the skin to help it caramelize and to help prevent curling.

Strain the fish stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Split the vanilla bean open and scrape the seeds into the hot stock followed by the pod. Remove the stock from the heat and allow the vanilla to infuse and the stock to cool completely. Return the stock to the stove and boil for about 20 minutes, until reduced by . Remove from heat, discard the vanilla and set the stock aside.

Peel the salsify, then immediately drop it into cold water with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Blanch in a large pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain, refresh in ice-cold water and drain again. Pat dry and cut into batons.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add 1 cup of the fish stock. Bring to a light boil, toss in the salsify batons and cook until the stock has reduced to a glossy glaze. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter and season with i teaspoon sea salt. The batons should be lightly colored; if they are not, cook for another minute or so. Set aside.

Melt another tablespoon of the butter in a medium pan and cook the fennel until nicely colored. Add 1/2 cup of the stock to the pan along with the thyme and the bay leaf. Cover and braise over gentle heat for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the thyme and the bay leaf and set the fennel aside.

In a spice mill or using a mortar and pestle, grind the white and black peppercorns, coriander seeds, star anise and cardamom into a powder.

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan. Season the bass with salt, pepper and the remaining lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. When it has stopped foaming, add the fish skin side down. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then flip the fillets over and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until firm and lightly springy. Season with the spice mixture and set aside.

Warm the remaining stock and stir in the tablespoon of cream and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, or more to taste. Remove from the heat, add the 2 tablespoons ice-cold butter and reheat the stock, frothing it with an electric hand mixer.

Divide the fennel among 4 warmed plates. Put the fish on top, skin side up. Arrange the salsify around it in a circle. Spoon the sauce over the fish and drizzle the rest over the salsify.

Give your romantic meal the MasterChef touch, with this impressive dish for two from Michel Roux Jr

Roast fillet of sea bass with parsnip purée & caramelised garlic

sea bass,

shallots, sliced

button mushroom, sliced

½ tbsp white wine vinegar

veal stock

butter

shallots

parsnips

milk

½ parsnip

oilfor deep-frying

For the crisps, peel parsnips and slice lengthways, using a mandolin to slice as thinly as possible. Deep-fry in hot oil until crisp. Drain on kitchen towels to absorb any excess fat and set aside in a dry place. Can be made up to 1 day ahead and kept in an airtight container.

For the caramelised garlic, peel the shallots and garlic. Blanch the shallots in boiling salted water for 10 mins or until tender. Cut them in half if large and drain well. Put the garlic in a small saucepan of boiling salted water, bring to the boil for 2 mins, then drain and change the water. Repeat 4 times and drain well. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook until caramelised, shaking the pan so they don&rsquo;t stick. Can be made in the morning and reheated.

For the purée, peel the parsnips and cut them into big chunks. Cook in boiling salted water until tender. Bring the milk to the boil and set aside. Drain the parsnips well, then put in a blender with the butter and some of the boiled milk and blend until totally smooth: the purée should be the consistency of double cream, so add more milk if necessary. Season and keep warm or make ahead and reheat.

Scale and fillet the fish. Remove any pin bones (or ask your fishmonger to do this, but keep the bones for the sauce). Rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Score the skin of the fish several times with a sharp knife to help prevent it from curling during cooking. Leave the bones (but not the heads) to soak in cold water.

To make the sauce, heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the shallots for about 5 mins until golden and soft. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Drain the fish bones, add to the pan and cook for 5-6 mins. Add the vinegar and let it come to the boil for 3 mins, then add the stock, season lightly and simmer for 30 mins, skimming at regular intervals. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan, bring back to the boil and whisk in the butter to thicken and gloss the sauce.

Heat a non-stick frying pan until smoking hot, add a few drops of oil, then add the fish, skin side down. Season with salt and pepper and press the fish down with a palette knife if it begins to curl up. Once the skin is well browned, turn the fillets over and cook the other side; the whole process should take no more than 5-6 mins, depending on the thickness of the fish. To serve, spoon the purée on to warmed plates, make a hollow in the centre, and fill with the caramelised garlic and shallots. Pour the sauce around the purée, place the fish on top and add a few parsnip crisps for garnish.

During my time in New York I got to visit all sorts of wonderful and fascinating places, and on one occasion I was lucky enough to be taken to an illegal Peruvian restaurant – it was great fun. This ceviche was on the menu that night. Ceviche is a lovely little appetizer of fresh fish marinated in citrus juices. As long as you’ve got mega fresh fish it’s an absolute dream and delight to make and eat.

Peruvian ceviche

pepper

spring onions

400 g skinless sea bass, lemon sole

lemons

red chillies

mint

coriander

punnet of mustard cress

fennel tops (optional)

extra virgin olive oil

I’m excited to share this fantastic method that shows just how easy it can be to cook whole fish, on the bone, giving better flavour and succulence, plus it’s harder to overcook the fish and you should also find it’s better value. Everything really gives to everything on the flavour front in this dish – it’s a beautiful thing!

Fish in crazy water

fennel

carrot

200 g ripe mixed-colour cherry tomatoes

½ a fresh red chilli

olives (stone in)

x 350 g whole round fish

mixed fresh soft herbs (30 grams)

150 g Greco di Tufo white wine

Level up your weeknight fish routine with a crispy, flavor-packed crust.

Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Asparagus

asparagus

avocado oil

Kosher salt

4–6-oz. skin-on arctic char, sea bass, or salmon fillets

Tbsp. white or yellow miso

Sriracha

Tbsp. sugar

ginger

panko

It’s hard to resist the lure of crispy anything. Here, quick-cooking fillets of fish are slathered in a deeply flavorful combination of miso, butter, and panko, then broiled until the breadcrumbs form a toasty, golden crust. My days as a line cook at Perry St restaurant in New York inspired the technique behind this dish. It was my first job out of culinary school, and in the winter we’d make a similar dish using roast cod topped with a thin sheet of truffle butter reinforced with panko. This is an easier, far more accessible version that’s just as tasty. I use my preferred technique of cooking fish with the skin on (it holds the flesh together as it cooks) yet with no intention of getting it crispy—I just lift the fish away from the skin when it’s time to serve. I find that chasing crispy fish skin is a heartbreaking pursuit, so I don’t even bother. Besides, you won’t miss it with all the texture from the buttery panko business on top. —Shilpa Uskokovic

Bon Appétit

Place a rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Line up 1½ lb. asparagus on a cutting board and trim woody ends (about bottom 2") with a chef’s knife; discard. Slice spears into 1" lengths and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tsp. avocado or vegetable oil and season with kosher salt. Using your hands, toss well to coat. Push asparagus to one side of baking sheet.

Pat four 4–6-oz. skin-on arctic char, sea bass, or salmon fillets dry with paper towels. Place, skin side down, on empty half of baking sheet.

Now, make the miso butter: Place 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium power in 20-second intervals until melted. (Alternatively, melt butter in a small skillet over medium.) Add 6 Tbsp. white or yellow miso, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Sriracha, and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Smash and peel 9 garlic cloves. Finely grate on a Microplane into miso butter. Peel one 3" piece ginger with a spoon; finely grate into butter. Stir to combine.

Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in another microwave-safe bowl. Stir in ⅔ cup panko.

Dollop about two-thirds of miso butter over fish, spreading it into an even layer with spoon. Sprinkle buttered panko over fillets and gently press with your hands to adhere. Roast fish and asparagus until fillets are firm when sides are gently pressed, 15–17 minutes.

Heat broiler (to low, if your oven allows). Broil (watching carefully), rotating baking sheet halfway through for even browning, until panko is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and immediately drizzle remaining miso butter over asparagus; toss to combine.

Slide a fish spatula between fish skin and flesh and do your best to gently lift away the fillets (skin won’t be crispy, so it’s best left behind). Serve fish with asparagus.

Theo Randall makes an easy lemony seabass with spinach and peas. A perfect light summer dinner.

Easy lemon sea bass 

basil leaves

75 grams/3 ounces butter, plus extra for buttering aluminium foil

milliliters/3½fl oz vermouth

spinach leaves

110 grams/4 ounces fresh peas, podded

salt and black pepper

This recipe came out of a 2005 kitchen <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/13/dining/13bitt.html">cage match</a> between Mark Bittman and the chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, in which Bittman, the home cook, sought to cook Chef Vongerichten's food more simply and perhaps just as deliciously. Judging by the quality of this particular dish, he succeeded.

Sesame-Crusted Fish With Butter and Ginger Sauce

sesame seeds

Salt and black pepper

neutral oil, like corn or canola

soy sauce

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Put seeds on plate. Season fillets with salt and pepper and turn in seeds, patting to coat fillets as fully as possible with seeds. Add oil to skillet and when it shimmers add fillets.

Brown fish on 1 side for a couple of minutes, then brown on other side for a minute or two. Remove skillet from heat, transfer fish to plate (even if not done) and place plate in oven.

When skillet has cooled slightly, put over medium heat. Add butter, and when it melts add ginger. About 30 seconds later, add soy sauce and 1/4 cup water and stir to blend. Return fillets to skillet, along with accumulated juices.

Turn heat to medium and cook fillets for about 1 to 3 minutes until desired doneness, turning 3 or 4 times. (If the pan dries out, add 2 or 3 tablespoons water.) Fish should be done when a thin-bladed knife meets little resistance at fillet's thickest point. Serve pan juices over fish.

Combine the capers, sun-dried tomatoes and their oil, the scallions, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until a paste forms, about 1 minute.

Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass

capers, drained

tomato oil

scallions, white parts only

garlic cloves,

salt and pepper

sea bass fillets,

Do not be alarmed by this list of ingredients. This dish is much simpler to prepare than it may seem.

Sea Bass in Black Bean Sauce

Kong-style egg noodles (available in Asian markets)

soy sauce,

dark sesame oil,

black beans

peanut oil, or more as needed

mung bean sprouts

red bell pepper, finely diced

green bell pepper, finely diced

shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced

green onions, white part and some green, trimmed, thinly sliced

ginger root

chicken broth,

cornstarch

Gently cut 2 X's through the skin of each fillet without cutting the meat, to keep them from curling. Set aside.

Soak noodles in warm water for 1 minute, drain and toss with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sesame oil, or more to taste. The flavor should be noticeable but not overpowering. Set aside.

Combine the black beans with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. In a wok heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil until smoking. Add the bean sprouts, bell peppers, mushrooms, green onions and ginger. Stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the bean-sauce mixture and stir-fry 1 minute. Add 1 cup chicken broth and stir-fry 1 minute more. Mix the cornstarch or arrowroot with a bit of water until smooth and add to the sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring gently, until the sauce is clear and thickened. If too thick, thin with more chicken stock. Set aside and keep warm.

In a nonstick 10-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil until almost smoking, add the noodles and flatten into a pancake. Fry gently until crisp, turn over, adding more oil if needed, and brown other side. Place on a platter and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a nonstick 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the bass fillets, skin side down, and move the fillets gently to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the skin is crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until a sharp knife meets almost no resistance, 1 to 2 minutes, and fish is browned slightly. Do not overcook!

To serve: Spoon the sauce over the noodles and top with the fillets.

This is one of the most heavenly sea bass dishes ever! You'll love the delicate flavour combo

Steamed Asian sea bass in the bag

lime leaves

lemon grass

red chillies to taste, seeded and chopped

coriander leaves

Kikkoman low-salt soy sauce

lime

wineglass sake

An all-star recipe for fish stew with a Sicilian twist! The comfort of Italian flavors in one delicious stew cooked in a white wine-tomato broth with garlic, capers, raisins more!

Sicilian-Style Fish Stew Recipe

Private Reserve extra virgin olive oil

yellow onion, chopped

celery ribs, chopped

Salt and pepper

garlic cloves, minced

red pepper flakes

dry white wine

low-sodium vegetable broth

golden raisins

capers,

lb skinless sea bass

parsley

tbsp toasted pine nuts, optional

Crusty Italian bread

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in 5-quart Dutch oven (like this one) over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and a little salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each). Cook, stirring regularly, until softened (about 4 minutes). Add thyme, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook briefly until fragrant (about 30 more seconds).

Now, stir in the white wine and reserved tomato juice from can. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by about 1/2. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, raisins, and capers. Cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until flavors combine.

Pat the fish dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Insert the fish pieces into the cooking liquid, and give everything a gentle stir so that the fish pieces are nicely covered in the cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat and cover. Let sit off heat for another 4-5 minutes so that the fish will finish cooking. Fish should be flaky when gently pulled apart with a paring knife. Finally, stir in the chopped parsley.

Ladle the hot fish stew into serving bowls, top each with a few toasted pine nuts, if you like. Serve with your favorite crusty bread! Enjoy!

I enjoyed preparing it and we LOVED eating it!

I like to do with what I have on hand so I often use substitutes. I did not have any celery left but I had a leftover piece of leek, and a carrot, so that is what I used to make the base. I used grouper fillets AND added shrimp +  a small jar of clams I wanted to use up from the pantry ; I also substituted thyme for rosemary (which I have a lot of). We loved the variety of seafood and the earthy flavor of the leek was a nice touch, balanced with the sweetness of the carrot. 

I am impressed with your recipes and coming back often to your site. Thank you!
Flo

Absolutely delicious. I used cod, added spinach and used currants instead of raisins as that's what I had on hand. That pop of sweetness is incredible. This will be my go-to fish stew recipe moving forward, thank you!

I made this last night and cut recipe in half since there were only 2 for dinner.  I had cod so that is what I used.  Absolutely delicious and I will be making it again and again.

WOW, Fish was TENDER &amp; FLAVORFUL!!!  This was my first time making fish outside my Asian comfort zone.  (Chinese Steamed Fish w/ Dried Mushrooms &amp; Ginger/Scallion Oil AND Japanese Baked Miso Fish are my only go-to's for decades 🥺).  What a brilliant recipe technique -- the simmering of fish submerged in sauce for 4-min, then heat off &amp; covered an add'l 4-min... to complete cooking  Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this secret!  Used frozen Chilean Sea Bass (sitting in freezer 1+ year.  Changed up ingredients:  2x garlic/onions/celery/capers (wanted a "meatier" outcome, since Stew was standalone w/out bread -- keto limitation); substituted dried GoldenBerries (tart berry from Peru) for the Golden Raisins.  So excited to have a 3rd Fish recipe in my rotation!

Delicately steamed sea bass, served with a fragrant, fiery sauce and stir-fried garlic pak choi – this is deceptively quick to make for something so impressive.

Top 38 sea bass recipes from across the web

The most viewed sea bass recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

Gordon Ramsay's Sea Bass With Vanil...

Roast fillet of sea bass with parsn...

Peruvian ceviche

Fish in crazy water

Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Aspara...

Sesame-Crusted Fish With Butter and...

Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass

Sea Bass in Black Bean Sauce

Steamed Asian sea bass in the bag

Sicilian-Style Fish Stew Recipe

Steamed sea bass in hot beer and gi...

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with As...

Seared Sea Bass with Cannellini Bea...

Sea bass with wild garlic mayonnais...

Pan-fried sea bass with citrus-dres...

Grilled bass with sauce vierge

Sea Bass Salmoriglio with Tomato an...

Chilean Sea Bass with Potatoes & He...

Hong kong style steamed fish

Steamed Sea Bass

Libyan Aharaimi (Fish in Tomato Sau...

Bake-in-a-bag fish

Cous Cous Stuffed Sea Bass

Thai-style crispy sea bass

Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass

Sea Bass with Cannellini Bean Stew

Instant Pot Fish Italian-Style (Fro...

Instant Pot Fish Italian-Style (Fro...

12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass

Steamed sea bass

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Recipe

Italian Cioppino / Fisherman's Stew

Italian Cioppino / Fisherman's Stew

Top 38 sea bass recipes from across the web

The most viewed sea bass recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Moqueca (Brazilian Fish Stew)

Gordon Ramsay's Sea Bass With Vanil...

Roast fillet of sea bass with parsn...

Peruvian ceviche

Fish in crazy water

Crispy Miso-Butter Fish With Aspara...

Sesame-Crusted Fish With Butter and...

Mediterranean-Style Sea Bass

Sea Bass in Black Bean Sauce

Steamed Asian sea bass in the bag

Sicilian-Style Fish Stew Recipe

Steamed sea bass in hot beer and gi...

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass with As...

Seared Sea Bass with Cannellini Bea...

Sea bass with wild garlic mayonnais...

Pan-fried sea bass with citrus-dres...

Grilled bass with sauce vierge

Sea Bass Salmoriglio with Tomato an...

Chilean Sea Bass with Potatoes & He...

Hong kong style steamed fish

Steamed Sea Bass

Libyan Aharaimi (Fish in Tomato Sau...

Bake-in-a-bag fish

Cous Cous Stuffed Sea Bass

Thai-style crispy sea bass

Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass

Sea Bass with Cannellini Bean Stew

Instant Pot Fish Italian-Style (Fro...

Instant Pot Fish Italian-Style (Fro...

12 minute Sticky Asian Sea Bass

Steamed sea bass

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass Recipe

Italian Cioppino / Fisherman's Stew

Italian Cioppino / Fisherman's Stew

The most viewed sea bass recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine