Parmesan Crusted Wild Sea Bass
Imagine taking a simple fillet of wild sea bass and turning it into a dish that wows everyone at the table. That’s exactly what happens with this Parmesan Crusted Wild Sea Bass.
You’ll transform fresh sea bass—already known for its buttery texture and subtle, clean flavor—into something truly special. The magic happens when you combine it with aged Parmesan cheese. The result? A crisp, golden crust that delivers rich, nutty flavor in every bite, while keeping the fish tender and moist inside.
Cooking this dish is easier than you might think. The Parmesan crust not only adds great texture but also enhances the bass’s natural sweetness with a savory depth that makes each bite unforgettable. This is a restaurant-quality meal you can easily create at home, no special equipment or complicated techniques required.
Whether you’re planning a quiet dinner for two or serving friends on the weekend, this recipe brings a touch of elegance to your table. It’s versatile enough for casual meals but impressive enough for special occasions.
So get ready to elevate your seafood game. With this Parmesan Crusted Wild Sea Bass, you’ll be creating a dish that’s as beautiful to serve as it is delicious to eat. Let’s get cooking!
Parmesan Crusted Sea Bass Recipe
Parmesan crusted anything sounds good to me.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup panko crumbs these are Japanese bread crumbs but regular bread crumbs work fine too
- 4 teaspoons Parmesan cheese grated
- zest lemon finely minced
- 12 oz pesto purchased or homemade
- 2 pounds wild sea bass cut into 6 steaks spray olive oil
For the Broth or Crazy Water
- 1/2 large red onion minced
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup orzo pasta dry
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- ½ cup zucchini coarsely chopped
- 7 ½ ounces roasted red peppers cut into thin strips
- ½ cup Kalamata olives halved and pitted
- 4 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped juice from the zested lemon above Salt & Pepper, to taste
- fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- As always, preheat the oven to 450º F.
- Combine the panko (bread crumbs) with Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
- Apply a spoonful of pesto on the non-skin side of each sea bass steak and then top with the bread crumb mixture. Press the bread crumbs into the pesto with the back of your spoon.
- Spray each steak with a little spray oil, transfer to a baking sheet that has been coated with some spray oil and refrigerate until you are going to prepare the broth.
To Make the Broth
- Start by heating up a saute pan over medium-high heat, adding oil, and sauteing the onions and garlic. Saute for 3 - 4 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add wine to deglaze the pan.
- Return the pan to the heat and simmer until the wine is reduced to an essence.
- Add the water and stir in the tomatoes, orzo, sugar and fresh thyme. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the orzo is cooked. While the orzo is simmering, it's time to roast the sea bass.
Roasting Wild Sea Bass
- Remove the baking sheet with the sea bass from the refrigerator and roast in your preheated oven for 12 minutes. The panko bread crumbs should be golden and the fish white and flaky.
Finish & Serving
- When the orzo is done, add the roasted pepper strips, zucchini and kalamata olives to the broth and simmer until heated through.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh parsley and fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- When it's time to serve, add some of the broth (crazy water) with vegetables to shallow bowls and place a sea bass steak into each. Serve.
Notes
As I said at the start of this post, this recipe doesn't take long to cook, but you'll want to have all your ingredients prepped (mise en place) before you start.
The recipe also suggests preparing the bread crumbs, adding them to the fish and refrigerating ahead of time (up to 4 hours) but make the broth just before serving. This is a great idea especially if you are having a dinner party and want to hang out with your friends.
Hope you get to try this and let us know what you think. This dish is outrageous!
Alternative Ideas for Preparing a Crust
| Ingredient | Description | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Panko Breadcrumbs | Light, airy Japanese-style breadcrumbs | Creates an ultra-crispy, golden crust that stays light, allowing the delicate fish flavor to shine |
| Crushed Nuts (almonds, pistachios, macadamia) | Finely chopped or ground nuts | Adds richness, crunch, and subtle nutty flavors that complement the buttery sea bass |
| Cornmeal | Coarse ground corn | Provides a rustic, crispy texture with a hint of sweetness, pairs well with mild fish |
| Herbed Breadcrumbs | Breadcrumbs mixed with fresh or dried herbs | Infuses the crust with extra flavor and aroma while keeping a crisp texture |
| Grated Aged Manchego | Hard Spanish cheese similar to Parmesan | Brings a salty, nutty flavor and forms a crisp, golden crust similar to Parmesan but with a unique twist |
| Ground Flaxseed + Breadcrumbs | Blend of flaxseed meal and breadcrumbs | Adds earthy, slightly nutty notes plus extra nutrition and fiber |
| Crushed Tortilla Chips | Finely crushed corn tortilla chips | Gives a bold, crispy crust with a touch of savory corn flavor—great for Tex-Mex flair |
| Shredded Coconut (unsweetened) | Thin shreds of coconut | Offers a delicate sweetness and crisp texture—perfect for tropical or Asian-inspired flavors |
| Method | Step | Instructions |
|---|---|---|
| Oven Roasting Method | Prepare the Peppers |
|
| Roasting Process |
|
|
| Stovetop Flame Roasting Method | Prepare the Peppers |
|
| Roasting Process |
|
|
| Post-Roasting Steps: Steam |
|
|
| Peeling |
|
Storage Tips
- Roasted peppers can be stored in olive oil in the refrigerator for up to a week
- For longer storage, freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months
Pro Tips
- Wear gloves when handling hot peppers
- Use roasted peppers in salads, sandwiches, sauces, or as a side dish
- Different pepper varieties will roast slightly differently
7 Responses
i didn’t know where to comment for the mash potato section, but i have made up my own recipe which i think is delicious;
1 clove of garlic
i spoonful of mayonaise
a grating of cheddar cheese
cream
butter
Excellent post. I was checking constantly this weblog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful information specifically the final phase. I maintain such information much. I used to be looking for this certain info for a long time. Thanks and good luck.
Haven’t tried it yet – am waiting for Amazon to delivery my groceries, but am very excited – it sounds delicious! I have a question about the roasted red peppers. The roasting of said peppers is not in your cooking instructions. I know how (perhaps not everyone does?) however unless you have an alternative to roasting them for this meal it does add a significant amount of time and some effort. Can you explain a bit more about this ingredient? I have some I roasted last week after a neighbor gave me more than I could eat while fresh and they are currently refrigerated in oil – could those be used?
Also, roughly what size am I aiming for on the zucchini?
Thanks so much,
Kevin
Hi Keven, thanks for pointing out I’m missing a link on how to roast peppers at home which is at https://www.reluctantgourmet.com/roasting-peppers-how-to-roast-peppers-at-home/ I just added it. I don’t see why you couldn’t use the peppers you roasted and are storing in olive oil. The recipe calls for olive oil so why not try using some of the oil you used to store them. It may have some infused flavor it it.
Absolutely delicious!!!
I amended to fit with what I had
No peppers but loads of dwarf beans
Used less water and more orzo in broth so more like a rissotto. Added extra Parmesan.
Had bass fillets rather than steaks but worked well
Made sorrel pesto with hazelnuts as no pesto in fridge but lots of sorrel in garden!
Thank you ??
@madrerumble
What an incredible dish! I’m not a huge fan of zucchini, but decided to give it a go. My gosh, so glad I did! I didn’t change much about the recipe and I loved the make ahead information that you provided. Prepping everything before starting the recipe really is key. I did prepare the fish hours before I baked it too. Because I’m not a huge fan of zucchini, I decided to cook the broth an extra 10 minutes before cooking the fish and added the zucchinis when adding tomatoes and other ingredients. After 10 minutes, I put the fish in the oven and continued to simmer the sauce until the fish was done. I only added juice from about half a lemon since I lucked out with a very juicy one.
I connected to your story as a self-taught home cook myself and “Cuisine at Home” is one of my favorite cooking magazines too. When you say it’s “as good as it gets” I absolutely agree. Cannot wait prepare this again. We thought for next time we would like to have a crunchy piece of Ciabatta garlic bread to soak up some of the deliciousness!!
Thanks for making cooking easy to prepare amazing food!!
Hi Michael, thanks for reaching out and thanks for your comments. Thrilled you enjoyed the dish.