Pan-Fried Chilean Sea Bass

Ingredients

• 4 Chilean sea bass fillets, about 6 ounces each
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 lemon, half sliced thin and half juiced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. 1

   Pat the sea bass fillets dry with paper towels and let them sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour, shaking off the excess.

3. 3

   Heat the olive oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

   2:00 · Heat oil
4. 4

   Place the fillets skin-side down in the skillet and sear without moving them until the skin is golden and crisp, about 4 minutes.

   4:00 · Sear skin side
5. 5

   Flip the fillets carefully and cook on the second side for 3 minutes.

   3:00 · Sear second side
6. 6

   Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter, garlic, and thyme sprigs to the skillet.

7. 7

   Tilt the skillet and spoon the melted butter over the fillets repeatedly for 1 minute, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.

   1:00 · Baste with butter
8. 8

   Add the lemon slices to the skillet and squeeze the lemon juice over the fish.

9. 9

   Transfer the fillets to plates, spoon the garlic butter and lemon slices over the top, and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.