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Friday, 8 August 2025

Pan-Fried Sea Bass In Harissa Butter : Low in Carbs : Gluten Free

Goodness me! The first week of August has flown by! Has it for you?

On the menu this Friday is ?
Many may enjoy a pizza!
Perhaps some will enjoy a curry!
For me it will be fish 😋


Yes, I do enjoy fish and this recipe uses Sea bass which is a superb sweet, white, textured fish ... but a substitute fish could be halibut, cod, snapper, trout, or barrimundi ...

This super quick dinner, uses a handful of ingredients. The sea bass fillet covered in a rich spicy butter and served with tenderstem* broccoli.

Ingredients
Serves two

2 sea bass fillets
2 tbsp olive oil
30g/1oz unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
½ tsp cumin seeds, crushed
1 tbsp harissa paste
½ lemon
½ bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly steamed Tenderstem broccoli, to serve

Method
1. Pat the sea bass dry with kitchen paper so there is no moisture on the fillets and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Make sure you have all the rest of your ingredients ready, as it cooks so quickly.
3. Drizzle the oil into a frying pan. Put the sea bass into the cold pan, skin-side down. Put the pan over a medium–high heat. Fry for around 4–5 minutes, until the skin is crisp and golden. Turn the heat up a little and flip the fish over, frying for just a couple of minutes until cooked through and golden all over.
4. Transfer the sea bass to serving plates, then return the pan to the hob. Working quickly, add the butter, garlic, coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Cook for 1 minute then add the harissa paste, stirring together.
5. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and remove from the heat. Stir in most of the coriander and quickly pour over the sea bass.
6. Garnish with the remaining coriander and serve immediately with the Tenderstem broccoli.

Recipe tip
Make sure you have all the ingredients ready when you start to cook the sea bass as it cooks so quickly.

Each serving provides
19g protein, 1.8g carbohydrate (of which 1.1g sugars), 34g fat (of which 12g saturates), 1.3g fibre and 1.1g salt.
From idea seen here

What is harissa paste
It is a fiery North African paste that is orangey-red in colour. It’s a mixture of peppers, dried red chillies, garlic, caraway seeds, ground cumin and coriander, tomato purée, salt and olive oil. It can be used as a condiment or as an ingredient in cooking and provides a real boost as an accompaniment to vegetables and pulses. Harissa can be bought ready-made in jars, or you can blend red chillies to create your own hot sauce, making it as fiery or as delicate as you want it to be.
More about Harissa here


What is Tenderstem broccoli?
Tenderstem broccoli is the (perfectly natural) love child of Chinese kale and broccoli, star-crossed lovers of the vegetable world.

What does Tenderstem broccoli taste like?
A bit like broccoli but way better - it has a sweet, nutty flavour, similar to asparagus, all wrapped up in a gorgeous crunch.

What is the nutritional value of Tenderstem broccoli?
Tenderstem broccoli has many nutritional benefits. It's high in folates, plus it's a good source of fibre and protein.

Does it have different names?
Yes, Bimi, broccolini, (and Tenderstem) are trademarked names for the hybrid of Chinese Kale and broccoli.

*This recipe suggestion uses Tenderstem Broccoli but this can be substituted for 'ordinary broccoli florets'.


This blog brings a variety of articles and recipe ideas, and it is important to note, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

32 comments:

Wanda said...

We love all kinds of fish. This bass looks delicious. My dad was a fisherman and bass and trout were his favorites and I learned to love fish as a child. You pictures always look so inviting.

Mari said...

I've never had Harissa paste, but this recipe sounds so good!

roughterrain crane said...

Thank you for telling us a new condiment. Stay cool and healthy.

Linda's Relaxing Lair said...

Dear Jan, this sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing 😊

John M said...

This recipe looks good. I'll ask my wife if he will cook it or maybe I'll try it myself. It seems easy enough. Thanks, take care.

aussie aNNie said...

Looks delish x

Christine said...


Delicious! Never tried harissa paste.

kathyinozarks said...

sounds delicious I have been eating more fish since I started getting a fish box delivered from Alaska-

Angie's Recipes said...

That looks so moreish!

Margaret D said...

Looks a good healthy meal. We have a few fish that are sometimes called seabass...notably Deep Sea Trevalla.

DeniseinVA said...

Oh that does look delicious Jan! It makes me want to put fish on the menu and I will do just that. Tonight pork is the menu. All the best and wishing you a lovely weekend :)

DeniseinVA said...

And yes, the first week of August certainly has flown by :)

roentare said...

The spicy harissa butter must add such a wonderful kick to the tender fish and broccoli

Victor S E Moubarak said...

Looks tasty. Thanx for the suggestion, Jan.

God bless.

jabblog said...

I like sea bass and this recipe looks wonderful. Tenderstem broccoli is a favourite vegetable here, especially raw in salad.

Benita James said...

Yes, to this gluten free recipe.

eileeninmd said...

The fish looks yummy, I am not sure if I have ever tried sea bass.
Take care, enjoy your day and have a wonderful week.

Rustic Pumpkin said...

If you have ever eaten fresh, line caught sea bass yoush. would never cook it with strong spices. As a fisherman's daughter, I would only ever cook it lightly sauteed in butter and oil as it's delicate flavour is lost under anything more. A wedge of lemon, some simple steamed vegetables and you are set. In truth, the majority of fresh fish doesn't need anything more than simple cooking to enjoy it at it's best.

Tom said...

...a fish that I've never had.

Joyful in His Presence said...

I'm not familiar with Harissa paste but the meal looks delicious.

Teresa said...

Para mí también el pescado y el brócoli. Besos.

contempladoraocidental.blogspot.com said...

This is a meal that I have often.
: )

Ananka said...

Probably tofu haha! :-D

Mary Kirkland said...

That looks so good.

https://linsartyblobs.blogspot.com said...

I do like sea bass, and it's quick to cook.

Shari Burke said...

I enjoy mackerel with piri piri seasoning (dry).

HappyK said...

It's pizza for us. The dough is rising as I type this!!

an artist reflects said...

Oh ~ yes time not just August seems to be flying by ~ another great recipe ~ looks delish ~ thanks,
an artist reflects

Conniecrafter said...

Since I don't care for fish I wonder if this would taste good with pork :)

Debbie said...

i like a lot of fish, sea bass is my son's favorite!! this is a nice recipe, i am going to send it to him!!

Lowcarb team member said...

REPLY TO

Conniecrafter who said ...
Since I don't care for fish I wonder if this would taste good with pork :)

Hello Connie
Yes you can use pork with Harrisa and there are many recipes available on the internet, but I link below to a Harissa Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Veggies ( a sheet pan meal) which looks very tasty.
Of course the nutritional details and carb count will be different but you can see the full details, recipe and nutrition here:-
https://savorthebest.com/sheet-pan-harissa-pork-tenderloin/

All the best Jan

baili said...

Hey Sweet Friend 🥰
I found your recipe amazing, hope our fish eating season comes soon 🤞
I can’t say I don’t seen sea bass here actually