Pan-seared wild sea bass with lemon butter

Crispy skin like a wafer, pearly flesh that flakes into large petals. The lemon acidity cuts through the nut-brown butter fat.

• Prep time: 10 min
• Cook time: 10 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 693
• Protein: 96 g
• Carbs: 2 g
• Fat: 38 g

Ingredients

• 4 piece European sea bass ( fillets with well-scaled skin )
• 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 60 g Minimum butter sweet
• 4 piece Garlic ( unpeeled and crushed )
• 2 piece Thyme ( fresh sprig )
• 1 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( juiced )
• 2 pinch Fleur de sel
• 2 pinch Black pepper ground

Instructions

1. Searing the skin

   Heat olive oil in a stainless steel pan. When smoking, place fillets skin-side down. Press down with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling and ensure even contact.

2. Basting and brown butter

   Add butter, crushed garlic, and thyme. When the butter foams and turns nut-brown, continuously baste the fillets with a spoon without flipping them. The butter's heat cooks the flesh through while keeping it moist.

3. Finishing

   Deglaze with lemon juice directly in the pan. Remove from heat. Let rest for one minute to relax the fibers. Season with fleur de sel and ground pepper.

Chef's tips

• Dry the skin perfectly with paper towels before cooking to ensure crispiness.
• Do not flip the fish; one-sided cooking preserves the delicacy of the flesh.
• Garlic in its skin scents the butter without burning.

Storage

Eat immediately. The fish does not tolerate reheating, which dries out the flesh and softens the skin.