Chilean Sea Bass with Black Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce

Seared sea bass fillet with truffle, peppers, asparagus and salad.

5 from 8 votes

Chilean Sea Bass with Black Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce

A Silky Black Truffle Beurre Blanc Sauce surrounds a moist, flakey portion of Chilean Sea Bass and garnished with a slice of black truffle. This is an entree to be served on a special occasion!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: French

Keyword: baked Chilean sea bass, Chilean Sea Bass, chilean sea bass recipe

Servings: Servings

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

For the Chilean Sea Bass Fillets:

2 sea bass fillets 1½ inch thick, 6 oz. each
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
Slice black truffles for garnish

For the Black Truffle Beurre Sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 shallot finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons heavy cream
4 ounces Black Truffle Butter
coarse salt
Pinch ground white pepper

Instructions

For the Chilean Sea Bass:

Preheat the oven to 425°F and set a wire rack over a baking sheet, coat with non-stick oil spray.
Brush the fillets on all sides with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Place the fillets, skin side down on the wire rack and transfer to the preheated oven.
Bake the sea bass for 15-20 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork and an instant-read thermometer reads 145°F at the center of a fillet.
For a crispy crust on top of the fillets, turn the oven temperature to ‘broil’ and brown the fillets for 2-3 minutes.

While the fish is baking prepare the BlackTruffle Beurre Blanc Sauce:

Brush the olive oil on the bottom of a small skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, do not let them brown.
Pour the lemon juice and wine into the pan and let reduce to where it is just a film on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the cream and reduce until thick.
Slide the pan from the heat and begin adding 1 or 2 cubes of butter while whisking the sauce. Slide the skillet on and off the heat at 10-second intervals to control the heat. The temperature of the sauce should never go higher than 130°f. If the sauce becomes too hot the butter will separate and will lose the emulsion.
Continue adding butter, whisking, and sliding the pan on/off the heat until all the butter has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Add salt and white pepper to taste and transfer to a small pitcher or jar. Set the jar of sauce in a bowl of hot tap water to keep warm while the fish is baking.

To serve:

Spoon a puddle of the black truffle beurre blanc sauce on each plate and place a fish fillet in the center of the sauce. Garnish with chopped pimento, parsley, and a slice of black truffle.

Notes

Adjust for fillet thickness: Our fillets are 1½ inches thick. If yours are thinner or thicker, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Check the temperature: The USDA recommends an internal temp of 145°F, but we prefer 135°F for a more tender fish. Don’t forget carryover heat will raise the temp a few degrees after cooking.

Use an instant-read thermometer: It’s the easiest way to get perfectly cooked fish every time.

Add cream to stabilize: Cream is optional in the beurre blanc, but it helps keep the sauce from breaking.

Keep the heat low: Too much heat will cause the butter to separate and lose the emulsion.

Control the burner manually: Slide the skillet on and off the heat every 10 seconds while whisking in the butter.

Try the edge-of-burner trick: Leave about ¼ of the skillet on the burner’s edge. It creates just enough gentle heat to melt the butter steadily.

Fix a broken sauce: If the sauce starts to separate, stop adding butter. Whisk in a teaspoon or two of wine (or other liquid) to bring it back together, then resume with the butter one cube at a time.

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