One-skillet fish dinner – yes please! This whole sea bass nestled over potatoes and cauliflower florets needs just under 20 minutes to turn into a delicious wholesome dinner. I absolutely love this cooking method – arranging the fish over a bed of veggies, seasoning it with a curated selection of spices and enhancing the taste with a choice of aromatics. It is quick, fuss-free and provides a lot of room to experiment with flavours for a little novelty each time. Be sure to check my Japanese Style Red Snapper, Ligurian Sea Bream or Chinese Sea Bass for more inspiration!
In today’s recipe I am using a simple but delicious combination of fresh thyme, lemon and garlic which pairs perfectly with buttery potatoes and cauliflower. To further accentuate the earthy flavours, whip up a quick side salad of green leaves tossed with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp za’atar seasoning.
The Flavour Affair:
White Fish + Thyme + Garlic + Lemon
You only need a handful of ingredients here to create a medley of wonderful flavours. Thyme, garlic and lemon complement each other really well, and buttery vegetables add a finishing touch and are the perfect companions to the delicate sea bass.
Fish: for best results, use whole sea bass, cleaned and scaled. Whole fish is way more forgiving as the skin and bones prevent the juices from evaporating too fast. What’s more, they add depth to the flavour and provide moisture to help cook the vegetables. Sea bass or sea bream work best in this recipe.
Thyme: I prefer to use fresh thyme for its more prominent taste and aroma. If using dried thyme, mix 1 tbsp into potatoes and cauliflower before adding the fish.
Vegetables: potatoes and cauliflower work best in this recipe because they benefit from being cooked with butter. In turn, butter pairs extremely well with the three major flavour components – thyme, garlic and lemon.
Preparation Tips for One-Skillet Sea Bass:
It really doesn’t get much easier than that. The only trick is to time the potatoes so that they turn soft by the time the fish is done. To achieve this, slice them about 2mm wide and cook for a few minutes before adding the other ingredients. Prepping the fish is easy: simply rub it with 1 tsp each salt, pepper and dried thyme and drizzle with a little olive oil. Then all that’s left is to assemble the casserole. Pop in cauliflower florets, tuck in garlic, lemon and thyme and arrange the fish on top. The lid goes on and your dinner will be ready in just under 20 minutes.
How to Serve Whole Fish:
- Transfer the bass to a large cutting board;
- Using a fork or knife, pull the skin off the flesh on the top side of the fish;
- Take a spatula and make a cut in the flesh as close to the tail as possible. Slide the spatula under and carefully push it forward – the meat will easily come off the bones and you will get your first fillet.
- Transfer to a serving plate. Using the same spatula, remove the spine along with all the bones. Flip around and pull off the skin to get your second fillet.
- Repeat with the other fish.
Enjoy sprinkled with a little za’atar mix to further accentuate the flavours!
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Sea Bass with Thyme, Garlic and Lemon
Equipment
- Large non-stick skillet or casserole
Ingredients
- 2 whole medium sea basses, scaled and cleaned
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 6-8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 6-8 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- salt & pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Heat the butter with 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and fry the potatoes for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower florets, mix together with the potatoes and tuck in the garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the fish: rub with salt and pepper, season with dried thyme and place two lemon slices inside each fish. Brush with a little olive oil.
- Place the fish over the vegetables. Arrange thyme sprigs and lemon slices around and add a splash of olive oil.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 15-18 minutes or until the potatoes are done.
- To serve, remove the skin and slice the fillets off the bones using a spatula.
Notes
- This is a wholesome dish that makes a satisfying dinner. You can add also some fresh greens tossed with a little oil mixed with 1 tbsp of za’atar seasoning to further accentuate the earthy flavors.
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