Chilean Sea Bass With Basil Pesto

This incredibly delicate, flaky, and tasty baked Chilean sea bass fish recipe requires only seven ingredients and 20 minutes to prepare! A fantastic weeknight dinner that will impress your guests! Note: You can substitute another white fish (I’ve listed suggestions) if you don’t have access to quality wild-caught Chilean sea bass from a sustainable source.

You may prepare this fish in various ways, including pan-frying, grilling, or baking in the oven. Keep the spice to a minimum and finished the baked fish with a splash of lemon juice and some of my basil pesto because it was already delicious. Simple fish recipes are easy to prepare.

Colour – depending on the type of fish, the colour should range from white to light pink, and the flesh should be firm.
Smell – a strong “fishy” odour should not be present in your fish. The mild flavour of white fish is one of its best qualities, but a strong smell indicates that the fish isn’t fresh.
Fish that has been frozen – Buying frozen fish is allowed. It should be wild fished, solidly frozen, and additive-free. Because fish is flash frozen as soon as caught, it might be even fresher than what you find at the fish counter.

Cooking Chilean sea bass
You’ll bake the fish in a high-heated oven at 425 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it flakes easily, in this simple no-fuss dish. Add fresh lemon juice and basil pesto as soon as it comes out of the oven. Here’s how it works in detail:

Toss in the lemon and basil pesto
Squeeze some grilled lemon all over the fish as soon as it comes out of the oven, then put the pesto on top. If using grape tomatoes, season them with salt and olive oil before sprinkling them on top of the fish. Serve. Serve the fish right away with additional lemon wedges for squeezing.

Make sure the fish isn’t overcooked. Sea bass and Chilean sea bass cook quickly, and baking them for an extended period can dry them out. When the flesh easily flakes, the fish is done. Cooked fish should have an internal temperature of around 145 degrees F. Also, keep in mind that the fish will continue to cook after removing it from the oven.

INGREDIENTS
Two-pound wild-caught Chilean sea bass, or another white fish fillet (see note), thawed if previously frozen
Olive oil (extra virgin)
Black pepper with kosher salt
One teaspoon crushed red pepper (I used two teaspoons Aleppo Pepper, which is milder)
1/4 cup basil pesto, homemade basil pesto or high-quality store-bought pesto, as desired
One cup halved grape tomatoes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425°F and place a rack in the centre.
Place the fish in a large baking pan that has been lightly greased. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top of the fish and season with kosher salt, black pepper, and Aleppo pepper (or red pepper flakes). Wrap the foil around the baking pan tightly.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, covered, in a preheated oven, or until the fish is cooked through and flakes readily.
Place the halved lemons, flesh side down, on a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill for a few minutes until the lemons soften and char a little (about 2 minutes or so). Remove the pan from the heat, set it aside.

Remove the fish from the oven
Squeeze one of the grilled lemons over the fish right away, then top with basil pesto.
Toss the grape tomatoes with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garnish over the fish. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges right away.