Black Sea Bass with Parsley Sauce

Black Sea Bass

With Parsley Sauce

Black Sea Bass is a great fish. It is both easy to catch and easy to cook. They are super-approachable to prepare, and there’s a lot of them in our local waters. You can catch them from a boat, or even from the shore. I take my kayak out, strap a Yeti cooler on, and head out to the nearest place with structure.

If you're looking to catch your own, know that sea bass love structure — rocks, buoys, cans. Once you bait your hook, you need to get your jig down past the pogies [also called scup]. You can get into them pretty quickly.

Here I share a sea bass recipe that can be applied to fresh or frozen sea bass, or a similar fish you could buy today. Black sea bass is an amazing local resource that is mild and absolutely delicious. The method by which these filets are cooked can be applied to most fish filets that are eaten with the skin on; feel free to try it with another fish.

Black Sea Bass

with Parsley Sauce.

Notes

One sea bass yields two filets. Reserve all but the innards for fish stock.

2 sea bass filets

1 Tbsp. neutral oil (enough to coat the pan evenly — too much will rob heat from your fish)

salt and pepper to taste 

Sauce:

1 bunch parsley (leaves only; reserve stems for stock)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. local honey

1 lemon (zest and juice)

1 lime (zest and juice) 

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil 

1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar (optional)

salt to taste 

For the fish:

Heat a large, cast iron or heavy steel pan on the stove over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating, turn your filets skin-side up on a cutting board, and lightly score the skin in one direction, using swift, gentle strokes, three or four times. This will help prevent the skin from shrinking and the fish from cupping in the pan. Lightly season the skin with salt and pepper.

When the pan and oil are hot, gently add filets to the hot pan; small filets will go quite quickly, so don’t walk away from this process. Use a fish spatula to gently press down on the filet to prevent cupping for the first few seconds.

After a few short minutes, as the skin begins to crisp, it will be much easier to release the filet from the pan. Use your fish spatula to check on the edges: Once it is nicely browned, the fish can either be flipped to its flesh side and finished on the stove, or the whole pan can go into a 375° oven until the flesh is white, no longer pink. This should take no longer than five minutes, as the fish will be mostly cooked from the searing process. The fish can be served with either side up, though I prefer the crispy side up.

For the sauce (this can be done in advance):

Combine all ingredients (except the citrus zest) in a high-powered blender. Work your way up from the lowest to the highest setting, and blend until smooth. 

Not all bunches of parsley are a standard size, so a bit more olive oil may be necessary to get things smooth. Carefully add a little at a time directly into the blender, while blending. 

Adjust flavor for salt, acid, and sweetness in the blender. Transfer sauce to a bowl, and fold in the citrus zest. You should be left with a bright green sauce that compliments many dishes. 

Now all that’s left is topping your fish with this delicious sauce; enjoy!