Crispy Sea Bass with Cauliflower, Parsnip Purée & Oregano Brown Butter
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
I love Chilean sea bass. Next to Mahi Mahi, it’s my favorite white fish, and I hadn’t had it in ages. Because it’s firm, it is so versatile. I love frying it up, skin on, and pairing it with different veggies. Tomatoes and okra. Peppers. Or, this simple but delicious meal.
Now, I love mashed potatoes, and you may be questioning a cauliflower and parsnip puree as an alternative to mashed potatoes. But, topped with an oregano browned butter, it’s really delicious and pairs really nicely with sea bass!
The cauliflower and parsnip puree is super simple to make. Basically, you throw chopped cauliflower and parsnip into a pot, add milk, cream, butter, and chicken broth and let it simmer for about 25 minutes to get the veggies soft and mashable. After that, you just have to puree the veggies and salt them! It’s quicker and easier than making homemade mashed potatoes!
I highly recommend getting sea bass with the skin on. Frying fish skin side down, before flipping it and cooking it through, the fish will have a nice crispy, browned skin that is delicious to bite in to.
We didn’t pair this with any side vegetable; it really doesn’t need it. You get so many nutrients from the cauliflower and parsnips that you can check off your vegetable serving. But, if you want to add more veggies, don’t hesitate! Sautéed green beans would pair nicely with this, as well as honey caramelized carrots.
This dish looks like something you would have at a fancy restaurant. Classsssy!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Fish
4 Chilean sea bass filets, bones removed, skin on
¼ cup of flour
1 TB of olive oil
salt and pepper
Cauliflower, Parsnip Purée
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
3 medium parsnips, cut into 1” pieces
½ cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
4 TBs butter, divided
salt and pepper
Oregano Brown Butter
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves
6 TBs butter
Instructions
Make the Purée
In a large saucepan, add the cauliflower, parsnips, milk, cream, chicken broth, 2 TBs butter, and a pinch of salt, cover with a lid. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Stir and return the lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes, or until the parsnip can be easily smashed with the back of a fork.
Take 2 tablespoons of the liquid and put into a food processor. Drain the cauliflower and parsnips and add to the food processor. Add the remaining 2 TBs of butter. Blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt. Set aside and keep warm.
Cook the Fish
Pat the fish filets dry. Coat the skin side of the fish with flour. Heat a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1 TB of olive oil into the pan. Once hot, add the fish, skin side down. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip and cook an additional 4 minutes. If your filets are thick, turn on their side and cook each side for an additional 4 minutes, or until done. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Make the Oregano Brown Butter
Using the same pan or a small saucepan, add the oregano and 6 TBs of butter. Cook, stirring often, until the butter is browned ~ about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Spoon the purée on to a plate. Top with the fish and then drizzle the browned butter with oregano on top.
Eat!
Keywords: Sea Bass, Cauliflower Puree, Parsnip Puree, Mashed Cauliflower, Crispy Sea Bass, Oregano Browned Butter
