Pan Seared Sea Bass

Forget the fancy restaurants! Pan-Seared Sea Bass is surprisingly easy to make at home. Chef Sinu from Holland America Line created this recipe, and it’s so flavorful! It’s one of the best fish recipes I’ve ever tasted.

This recipe is super easy to make. I started with frozen Sea Bass from Vital Choice, the fish of choice on Holland America cruise ships. I’ve sailed with Holland America twice, and the food is always amazing.

If you cruise a lot, you might even recognize a few of these cruise line recipes, also easy to make at home.

An added bonus of eating fish is that it’s low in calories and rich in protein, so it’s not only a delicious meal but also good for you.

I’ve made this dish three times, and it’s super simple to prepare. Be sure to use good-quality seafood, and don’t overcook the fish. Follow the tips below, and this will quickly become one of your favorite fish recipes.

What You Need to Make This Dish

• Wild Chilean Sea Bass – we used frozen from Vital Choice.
• Cherry tomatoes – our favorite is Sugar Bombs
• Parsnips
• Half & Half
• Arugula
• Garlic
• Lemon
• Herbs

Scroll to the bottom for the recipe card with a full list of ingredients and directions.

Substitutions and Additions

We love this recipe using sea bass, but if you can’t find that type of fish, you can use cod, mahi mahi, red snapper, or grouper.

To save calories, you can use whole milk or even 2 percent instead of heavy cream in the parsnips. If you don’t like parsnips, mashed potatoes make a great side dish, too.

Fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, or fresh parsley also pair well with sea bass. Dried herbs are also suitable in a pinch, but we prefer fresh.

How to Make Chilean Sea Bass

If you have access to fresh sea bass, by all means, use it. Just be aware that much of the fish you see in your local grocery store is previously frozen and has been sitting on ice all day in the display case. A fish market is a better option for fresh fish. Vital Choice flash-freezes their fish, locking in flavor.

I started with frozen fish. I’ve used both the quick thaw and the overnight thawing methods. I prefer the overnight method as it thaws more evenly.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper third and preheat the oven to 450℉.

Toss cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, five sprigs of fresh thyme, salt, and pepper on a lined, rimmed baking sheet.

Roast for 20-25 minutes until the tomatoes are blistered and beginning to burst. Set aside.

Season the parsnips with salt and place them in a medium pot. Add half-and-half, garlic, a bay leaf, and the rest of the thyme, and place the pan over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer, cooking for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Transfer parsnips to a food processor using a slotted wooden spoon, reserving the remaining half and half. Add the butter and enough half-and-half to create creamy mashed parsnips. The consistency should be like mashed potatoes. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Keep warm.

Remove the fish from the packaging, gently rinse it, and pat it dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the fish with salt and black pepper.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and heat until the oil is shimmering. It’s important that the pan is very hot before adding the fish as the heat breaks the protein bonds so the fish won’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

If the fish has skin, place it in the pan skin side down. I placed skinless fish fillets in the hot pan and cooked them undisturbed until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Gently flip the fish over and cook another 3-4 minutes. The fish is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 140º, but you can tell when it’s done as it goes from opaque to white.

Serve the fish over a spoonful of parsnip purée, along with greens, lemon zest, lemon slices, cherry tomatoes, and a drizzle of olive oil. Just before serving, squeeze lemon juice over the fish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Top Tips

Overcooking fish is the quickest way to ruin it. Even after it’s off the heat, the fish will still cook for a minute or two, so keep that in mind and remove it from the hot pan.

There are two secrets to getting a nice crust or crispy skin on this pan-seared sea bass. First, make sure to use olive oil or butter to coat the pan well. Second, make sure the pan is hot before adding the fish.

We cook this fish at a pretty high heat for a short period of time. Cooking it at a low heat for longer will create a rubbery texture that no one wants to eat.

If you stick a fork in the thickest part of the fish and twist very gently, you can tell if it’s no longer raw as it will start to break up a bit. A cooking thermometer is the best way to know for sure.

You can also bake this fish in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes or grill it for 3-5 minutes per side.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I ate this the next day, and it was still so flavorful.

I have a couple of the Holland America cookbooks and can’t wait to try more of their recipes. If you love cruising, too, be sure to check out my Holland America Alaska review and things to do on a Holland America cruise ship.