Poached Sea Bass
Posted on March 14 2025
This gently poached sea bass is infused with the delicate, floral notes of Flower Salt, making for a light yet luxurious dish. Sustainable Barramundi is the perfect choice, with its mild flavor and firm texture. A simple white wine poach keeps the fish tender, while a silky shallot, garlic, and cream sauce elevates it to restaurant-quality status. Ideal for a quick weeknight seafood dinner or an elegant meal for guests.
Poached Sea Bass
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dinner
Cuisine
American
Servings
2
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10-12 minutes
Calories
400
Flower Salt’s clean flavor and delicate scent balances this rich, one-skillet preparation. We suggest using sustainable Barramundi (Asian Sea Bass) for its mild flavor and firm texture; it’s available at many grocery stores. You can substitute any firm white fish but may need to adjust the poaching times if the filets are thicker. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner but fancy enough to serve guests.
Ingredients
-
1 pound frozen Barramundi filets, thawed
- ¾ teaspoon Flower Salt
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 strips lemon peel, pith removed
- 1 bay leaf
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
- ¼ teaspoon grated or mashed garlic Â
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon Flower Salt, plus extra for garnishing
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
For the fish
For the sauce
Directions
Prep and poach the fish
Pat the fish filets dry with a clean towel, then sprinkle both sides with the Flower Salt and set aside on a plate for 10 minutes.
- Pour the wine into a 10-inch skillet and add the lemon peel, bay leaf, plus ½ cup water. Set the skillet over medium-high heat. When the liquid is steaming, with small bubbles at the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat to medium. Slip the fillets into the water and cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes or until the bottom half of the fillets has just become opaque. Use a spatula to gently turn the filets over and cook until the fillet is fully opaque, about an additional 4 minutes.
- Transfer the fish from the poaching liquid to a plate. Discard the poaching liquid and return the skillet to the stove.
Make the sauce and serve
Put the butter into the skillet and set the heat to medium-high. When the butter melts add the shallots and garlic; cook, stirring, until they are tender and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and cook, stirring, until it is mostly evaporated. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the Flower Salt and lemon juice, then add the filets back to the pan and spoon some of the sauce over them.
- Garnish with a generous pinch or two of Flower Salt and serve.
Recipe Note
If you’re new to poaching fish, the goal is to cook it very gently and to not let the water boil. For this recipe, the depth of the poaching liquid should equal about three-quarters of the thickness of the filets — add more water and wine (in equal parts) if needed to attain that.
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