By Beleaev Family | International Caviar & Gourmet, Head Office London | beleaev.com
Sea bass fillet with caviar beurre blanc is the dish that brings French technique and luxury seafood together properly. Crisp skin, opaque pearly flesh, a buttery emulsified sauce, generous caviar pearls. The whole thing takes 18 minutes if you've got the technique.
Key Takeaways
- Use line-caught sea bass, never farmed where possible
- Skin must be patted absolutely dry for crisp finish
- Beurre blanc properly emulsified, not just melted butter
- 12-15g of [Oscietra](https://beleaev.com/products/royal-oscietra-caviar-copy) per portion
- Caviar on the sauce, never on the hot fish directly
The Ingredients
Serves 2
For the fish:
- 2 sea bass fillets (skin on, around 150g each)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 30g unsalted butter
- Sea salt and white pepper
For the beurre blanc:
- 60ml dry white wine
- 30ml white wine vinegar
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 100g cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tbsp double cream
For finishing:
- 25-30g Royal Oscietra
- 1 tbsp finely sliced chives
- 1 lemon, halved
The Method
Step 1: Prep the Fish
Pat the sea bass fillets completely dry on kitchen paper. Score the skin lightly in 4-5 shallow cuts. Season the skin generously with sea salt.
Step 2: Start the Beurre Blanc
In a small pan, combine wine, vinegar, and shallot. Reduce until 2 tablespoons remain. Add the cream. Reduce by half. Keep warm on the lowest heat.
Step 3: Cook the Fish
Heat oil and butter in a heavy non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When foaming, place the fillets skin-side down. Press gently with a fish slice for 30 seconds to keep them flat.
Cook 4 minutes skin-side down without moving. Flip carefully. Cook 1 minute on the flesh side. The fish should be opaque all the way through.
Step 4: Finish the Beurre Blanc
Whisk the cold butter into the wine reduction one cube at a time. Each cube must melt and emulsify before adding the next. Strain through a sieve to remove the shallot. Season.
Step 5: Plate and Top
Place the fillets skin-side up on warm plates. Spoon the beurre blanc around (not over) the fish. Top each portion with 12-15g of caviar on the sauce. Scatter chives. Add lemon halves on the plate (decorative). Serve immediately.
Tips
Pat dry, every time. Wet skin doesn't crisp. Multiple kitchen paper presses are essential.
Skin-side down, weighted, no moving. The fish curls if not weighted. The crust forms in 4 minutes. Don't peek.
Beurre blanc temperature critical. Above 60C the butter splits. Keep on lowest heat.
Caviar on sauce, not fish. The fillets are hot enough to ruin caviar pearls. The sauce creates a thermal barrier.
Variations and Pairings
With Beluga: Use 25g of Beluga XXL per portion.
With samphire: Add a small pile of wilted samphire alongside.
With cauliflower purée: Plate fish on a swoosh of silky cauliflower purée.
Wine pairing: A premier cru Chablis or chilled champagne.
For more seafood mains, see our sole meunière with caviar and pan-seared scallops with caviar recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wild or farmed sea bass?
Wild line-caught is the gold standard for flavour. Farmed organic Mediterranean sea bass is acceptable. Avoid intensively farmed sea bass, which has bland, muddy flavour.
How do I get crispy skin?
Three things: pat dry thoroughly, score the skin lightly, press with a fish slice when first hitting the pan. Don't move the fish for the first 4 minutes.
Beurre blanc keeps splitting, what's wrong?
Heat too high. The pan must be on the lowest possible heat or off the heat entirely while whisking in butter. If it splits, take off the heat and whisk in 1 tbsp cold water vigorously.
How much caviar per portion?
12-15g per fillet is the right portion. The fish is delicate and large caviar portions overwhelm it.
Further Reading
A fillet of sea bass with caviar beurre blanc is one of those mains that defines what fine dining at home can be. Discover Beleaev's caviar collection at beleaev.com.
Beleaev is an international caviar and gourmet house headquartered in London, with fulfilment hubs across the UK, Europe, the UAE, and the United States. We deliver responsibly farmed Beluga, Oscietra, Sevruga, and Kaluga caviar to customers in each region within 24 to 48 hours.
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