As a Chef, I always look for new items to try for dinner when food shopping. And this week my grocer was featuring Black Sea Bass that looked too good to pass up.
Black Sea Bass often referred to as Rock Bass is found in the waters of Florida, off the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic all the way up to Maine.
Its flesh is firm and lean, with a mild, delicate flavor. Make sure the uncooked flesh is sparkling white and translucent, not opaque. Remember fresh fish should only smell like the sea, not fishy.
I was pretty sure we would enjoy the sea bass but just to be on the safe side I topped it with jumbo shrimp finished in a lemon scampi sauce (you really can’t go wrong with that topping). The Sea Bass was tender and flaky with a mild sweet flavor, and the lemon butter sauce with those delectable shrimp took the sea bass to the next level!
If you can’t find Black Sea Bass, this topping would work well on any white flaky fish, turning even Tilapia into a memorable meal or even without the fish served over pasta.
Can I use other fish for this dish?
Yes, you can. This lemon scampi sauce can also be made with or without shrimp.
Some of the other fish I would use this sauce with are:
- Flounder
- Cod
- Tilapia
- Mahi-mahi
- Red snapper
or just about any mild white-fleshed fish.
Fish is an excellent source of protein and is a good alternative to red meat. We try to eat fish at least once a week in our house and finding new ways to serve it is always fun. This topping can be used on many of your favorite fish and even chicken, so have fun experimenting.
If you liked this recipe you might also enjoy these fish recipes:
- Blackened Salmon with a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
- Pan Seared Halibut
- Ginger Garlic Swordfish
- Grilled Atlantic Rockfish
Black Sea Bass with Shrimp in a Lemon Scampi Sauce
Ingredients
- 12-14 ounces black sea bass fillets
- 6 16-20 count shrimp Peeled and deveined Peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 clove garlic – finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice more or less depending upon your likes
- splash of white wine
- 2 ounces vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon of butter rolled in flour
- ½ teaspoon Italian parsley – finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place sea bass fillets in a baking pan and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper. add a little water to the pan to help keep the sea bass moist
- Roast Sea Bass for 15-20 minutes
- In a sauté pan add olive oil and chopped garlic, when the garlic starts to cook add the shrimp.
- Turn the shrimp over and add the capers.
- When shrimp are almost fully cooked add a splash of white wine.
- Add stock, lemon juice and butter rolled in flour.
- As the sauce begins to thicken up add chopped parsley, remove from heat and serve over plated Black Sea Bass fillets.
- Garnish with sliced lemon and serve with your favorite sides.
Judi
Hi Chef!
This recipe is SO GOOD! We loved it! We went down to the fish market and got fresh sea bass and shrimp. I had to bake it a little longer than the recipe calls for, but that was not a problem. For the sauce, I didn’t have any vegetable broth so I used a little bit of Japanese Clear Soup I made that I had left in the fridge. I served it on a bed of a spinach/cauliflower rice/fresh sweetcorn mix. FAAAAAAAAANTASTIC! Thank you so much for this recipe!
April
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. My husband kept saying I feel like I’m at a fancy restaurant. Did it in top of vermicelli with extra butter sauce and a side of fresh snap peas. Next time I’ll have to double the recipe. We are lucky to live on the ocean. Always looking for new ways to cook the fresh catch he brings home. Black Sea Bass is one of our favorites.
j
Excellent recipe! I used this on black bass we brought back from Alaska which I had no idea how to prepare. My wife loved it more than I did. Is also very low carb which it’s perfect for my diet right now. It is already printed off and then our recipe book. A definite keeper!
Tom
A New Year’s Day homerun. Putting it together was so easy and fast. This dish rivals anything on the menu at our favorite seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach, VA – our perennial vacation spot.
Hull
Fantastic. I’ve made it at least 4 times since New England fishing season started in June. I’ve made it with sea bass and blackfish. 5star restaurant worthy 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Mayra
The recipe was very good but my sauce didn’t thicken the way it shows on the video. I will say I didn’t have veg stock so used more wine. Could this have been the difference?
I will try it again.
Chef Dennis Littley
the wine would affect the overall flavor and alcohol doesn’t thicken the way stock will. It could very well have been the wine, or you may have needed more flour pushed into the butter when you thickened the sauce.
Nicole
I doubled the sauce and added tomatoes to it, so it would pair well with angel hair pasta. I was delicious! I can’t wait to make it again.
Mike Walsh
If you hadn’t said that you were developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes, I’d feel like it was disingenuous to say how easy and quick this was to make. But it was awesome! And the ingredients were readily available. I’ve become a big fan of your web site. Not only are the recipes I’ve tried all fantastic, the site is easy to navigate. and you’ve had something for everything I’ve tried to find so far. Thank you!
Mike Walsh
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the comment and great review Mike! I’m very happy to hear you’ve been enjoying my blog and recipes
Wanda
I made this for my hubby for Father’s Day. It was amazing!!!
I will be making this again!!!!
Christine Partridge
Loved this dish. Husband said he looks forward to having it again. Delicious 😋
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the great review and I’m very happy to hear your husband enjoyed the dish!
Rosemary
Divine. This looks amazing. With restaurants not opened this is the perfect way to elevate home cooking. Thanks for sharing the various fish options. I’m going to have to make this soon!!
Bohemian Babushka
At this point, it would surprise Babushka if there was a recipe of yours she didn’t pin. Gracias for another good one.
Ruth I
This dish looks classy and expensive! I would give this a try, yum!
Cherise Kachelmuss
This looks awesome as I just told my husband we need to eat more fish but I am clueless about cooking it. I also just found a jar of capers that I didn’t know what to use on!
Kathy
This sounds like a great recipe. I have never had anything like it before either. I’m always interesting in trying out something new. I bet it’s delicious.
Lynndee
The seafood lover in me is drooling. I haven’t tried preparing a dish with capers before, though. I can’t wait to try this.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This is such a perfect timing! I am planning to prepare something special for my husband this dinner. This lack Sea Bass looks really delicious and satisfying!
Catalina
Such a fancy and delicious dish! I should make this for my husband for our romantic dinner!
Lizzie Lau
Your shrimp and lemon scampi sauce sounds delicious. I always have mahi in the freezer, so I’m going to try it out later this week.
veenaazmanov
A restaurant style meal and sea food homemade, sounds very interesting. This dish is a perfect treat too.
Sophie
Black sea bass is one of my favorites and it is really versatile. Whether pan-seared, oven-baked or steamed, it always comes out delicious. I can imagine how bright this dish tastes with the lemon caper sauce.
Saif
Seabass is one of my favorite seafoods. I love when you add the garlic, butter and other ingredients. It looks very creamy which makes me hungry.
Amy
Fantastic recipe. Combination of so many things that I love. It’s not always easy to find sea bass where I am, although I do love it. Glad I can use flounder instead cause I love that fish too and much easier to source. Going to try it on the weekend!
Christie Gagnon
I am always looking for new fish recipes. This looks delicious and I love how you topped the sea bass with scrimp scampi -so clever!
Amanda
This looks nice and easy to try as Summer is coming.
Amber Myers
I can see my family being a fan of this. They tend to love all dishes with shrimp.
Andrew
I love any kind of shrimp, but shrimp scampi is pretty much up there. So using shrimp scampi as a topping on another fish sounds real intriguing! Thanks for sharing.
Don’t think I’ve ever had sea bass though. Hows’ the taste? Is it very fishy?
Chef Dennis Littley
not fishy at all, it’s a mild white fish. The scampi topping is a nice was to make a dish extra special. It even works on chicken and steaks
Jen
This looks so good! I’ve never eaten bass, but I’ve heard it’s good for you. A book I read about chronic illness recommended it as a good choice.
Andréa Janssen
See brass with shrimp, such an excellent combination. This sounds like such a terrific dinner recipe!
Joyce Hibma
This was amazing! I wish I had made double. Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the great review Joyce, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Amy Ancel
This looks delicious and I plan to make it this weekend as my fishmonger has super fresh Black Sea bass just in off the boat! My question is, should the fillets be skinned or do you leave the skin on?
Thanks and yum!
Chef Dennis Littley
you can actually cook it with the skin on and when you go to take it out of the baking dish, it should lift off the skin fairly easily. You can also have your fishmonger clean it and just cook the filets. Personally I would leave it on
Hull Manwaring
Had tonight over spinach! Fantastic!Thanks!!!
Kim
Woah! These look AMAZING!
Chef Dennis Littley
thank you!
Janet
Found this recipe onPinterest. My family loves sea bass and I was looking for a new recipe – this one was perfect! We served this over linguine and the kids absolutely devoured every last bit!
Chef Dennis Littley
I am thrilled to hear that your family enjoyed my sea bass recipe Janet. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for the great review!
Frances Sunshine Hopkins
Cooked for my son and I, was absolutely delicious! Thank you
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you and your son enjoyed my sea bass recipe Frances!
Leslie
Beautiful recipe! There is perfection in simplicity and letting the taste of fresh foods speak for themselves. Bravo!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you Leslie!
Arden ellison
Thank you for these recipes the they taste wonderful
Chef Dennis Littley
Glad you like them! Thank you!
Roger Cichy
Outstanding recipe! Just brought home a black sea bass from off-shore fishing in the south coast waters of Rhode Island. Needed a different recipe to try for my “right out of the water” sea bass. Even my vegan wife had to try a piece!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the feedback Roger, I’ve very happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Ashley Laykovich
Hi, I’m wanting to make this, but it doesn’t say how much Olive oil in the ingredients. Hoe much do you use? Thanks 🙂
Chef Dennis Littley
just a drizzle Ashley about 1/2 tsp per filet
Pam
What I really love about Chef Dennis’s Black Sea Bass with Shrimp in a Lemon Scampi Sauce is that it uses very little butter 1Tbsp yet it tastes like there is 1/2 cup of butter! This was my first recipe to try from this web site and it was the Best Recipe for fish that I’ve made.
Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you Pam, that’s quite a compliment! I’m happy that enjoyed your first recipe and hope you come back to try many more!
Mary Sullivan Frasier
Lemon, butter, capers and white wine… How could anything be bad, with those ingredients? :~) Looks absolutely delicious, Chef. We don’t always have access to really fresh (ocean) fish up here in the Adirondacks, so I love that it can be served with pasta or rice as well. Thanks!
Chef Dennis
hi Mary
the sauce would be wonderful with chicken too, its really versatile!
PapaLos
Seeing this makes me wish even more that my wife ate seafood. I could almost taste it, it looks so amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Chef Dennis
Thank you, I have friends whose spouses won’t eat seafood and it kills them to be missing out on so many delicious dishes!
Happy Valley Chow
Wow what an elegant dish! Some fantastic flavors, definitely need to try!
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Chef Dennis
Thank you, it was a very delicious meal!
Michael Toa
What an elegant dish Chef! It looks so stunning and I’m sure it’s utterly delicious.
Chef Dennis
Thanks Michael! I hope all is well on your side of the Pond!
Natalie
Yum! Lots of flavor in this recipe, looks amazing.
Chef Dennis
Thank you Natalie!
Kath
What a great combination, Dennis! I love that it’s a simple and easy preparation but it’s festive enough for entertaining!
Chef Dennis
It really is a great dish for entertaining Kath, and won’t take you all night to prepare!
Larry
Oh Wow Dennis, you may not be a big fish eater but your creations always make my mouth water. I am a big fish eater but Bev is not, except for mild white fish, and a lemony caper sauce is our favorite topping. This looks unbelievably good and will be the next fish dish here at Almost Heaven South. Thanks for posting it.
Chef Dennis
Thanks Larry! I think the fact that I’m not a big fish eater is why I make them so tasty!
RavieNomNoms
Oh yum!! I love sea bass and shrimp and lemon! A great dish!
Chef Dennis
Thanks Raven!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
Beautiful, and ‘amen’ on eating local for all your reasons!
Chef Dennis
Thank you Toni!
Jill Colonna
Is it normal to crave this dish before I’ve had breakfast here? This looks and sounds wonderful, with delicate flavours. Fresh like this is fabulous, plus made in 30 minutes is even better!
Chef Dennis
hi Jill
I try to keep everything as simple as possible, especially with entrees, I figure if I don’t have much time when I get home then why should I assume anyone else does…lol
I’m glad you enjoyed my dish and I think as foodies we get to crave any type of food, no matter what time of day it is!
Cheers
Dennis