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A piece of crispy-skinned sea bass on a dish of garlic vegetable sauce with french fries on the side.

Fresh pan-fried sea bass in garlic vegetable sauce

If you enjoy fish, I'm sure you will love this recipe for pan-fried sea bass. The fish is fried until flaky with a slightly crispy skin, then gently warmed through in my versatile garlic and vegetable sauce. This is one of those recipes that makes you think 'Wow - that tastes good!'
Recipe by: Veronica
Main Course
Asian Inspired, British
Calories 551
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 2 people
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Equipment

  • Large saute pan (with lid) OR
  • Large frying pan with lid
  • Jug for mixing the sauce
  • Spatula

Ingredients

Fish and vegetables

  • 2 fillets sea bass approximately 140 grams or 5 ounces each
  • 1 medium onion peeled, quartered and separated into petals
  • 1 small capsicum or red bell pepper deseeded and cut into chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into batons
  • 10 green beans topped and tailed and cut into 2-inch lengths
  • 1 cup bean sprouts optional
  • ½ cup frozen peas defrosted
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons sunflower or other vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste

Garlic sauce

  • 1 fish stock pot
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder adjust according to the strength of the brand you use
  • 1 tablespoon rice vine vinegar or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar adjust to taste for more sweetness
  • 2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch

Instructions

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over moderate heat. Sprinkle the fish lightly with salt on both sides. Add the fish (skin side down) and cook for 4 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
    2 fillets sea bass, Salt to taste, 2 - 3 tablespoons sunflower or other vegetable oil
  • Add another splash of oil to the pan, then add the onions, red pepper and crushed garlic. Stir fry for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions turn translucent and the pepper is starting to soften.
    1 medium onion, 1 small capsicum or red bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic
  • Add the carrots and beans and stir to coat them with the oil.
    1 medium carrot, 10 green beans
  • Dissolve the fish stock pot in boiling water and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the rest of the sauce ingredients.
    1 fish stock pot, 1 cup boiling water, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder, 1 tablespoon rice vine vinegar, 1 tablespoon tomato puree, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cornflour or cornstarch
  • Pour the sauce into the pan and add the bean sprouts. Bring to a boil.
    1 cup bean sprouts
  • Cover with a lid and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
  • Stir in the defrosted peas, and add the fish (skin side up). Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until heated through.
    ½ cup frozen peas
  • Serve the fish on top of the vegetables, accompanied by your starch of choice.

Notes

Recipe Tips:
  • Dry the fish well before cooking. Pat the fish with a paper towel to remove excess moisture - this will ensure the skin crisps properly in the pan.
  • Don't move the fish too soon. Leave the fish for at least 4 minutes on moderate heat, skin side down, before turning to cook the other side.
  • Cook the fish gently. Sea bass only takes a few minutes to cook. Remove it from the pan while it is slightly underdone so it can continue cooking while you warm it in the sauce.
  • Allow the fish stock to cool before adding the cornflour. If you add dry cornflour to boiling hot stock, it will form lumps. You can either let the stock cool for a few minutes or mix the cornflour to a paste with a little cold water before stirring it into the stock.
  • Don't overcook the vegetables in the sauce. The vegetables should still have a little 'bite' to them. Don't cook them so long that they turn mushy.
  • Cut the vegetables evenly. Try to cut the vegetables to more or less the same size so that they all cook at the same time.
  • Reheat - don't boil. When reheating the fish in the sauce, keep the heat to a simmer so the fish finishes cooking gently without overcooking.
 
Storage and freezing:
This dish is best enjoyed freshly cooked, as reheating can affect the delicate texture of the fish.  However, if you want to store leftovers and reheat them, this is how to do it.
  • Refrigerator. Allow the dish to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • Freezing. Unfortunately, the cooked sea bass isn't suitable for freezing.
    Leftover sauce and vegetables can be frozen in a suitable container for up to 3 months.
    To use, allow the frozen sauce and vegetables to defrost in the refrigerator. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan on the stove and serve with freshly fried fish and your choice of starch.
  • Reheating. Reheat gently to avoid overcooking the fish. Warm in a pan with the sauce until heated through. You could also reheat it in the microwave in short bursts on half power.

Nutrition

Calories - 551kcal | Carbohydrates - 33.5g | Protein - 40.7g | Fat - 28.7g | Saturated Fat - 5.7g | Cholesterol - 1mg | Sodium - 571mg | Potassium - 640mg | Fiber - 7.6g | Sugar - 15.2g | Calcium - 65mg | Iron - 2mg

I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.

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Unless otherwise stated, a cup is the standard US cup containing 240 ml. In all my recipes this cup is assumed to hold 140g of flour. For help converting other ingredients between cups, grams, ounces and other measures, see my recipe conversion calculator.
All my recipes are developed and tested at sea-level. For tips on adjusting recipes for high altitudes see my post on baking at high altitudes.
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