pan seared Chilean sea bass / sauce grenobloise / pomme pavé / seasonal vegetable

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly butter a square or rectangular baking dish (about 8x8 inches) or line with parchment.

Preheat and prepare

Peel and slice Yukon Gold potatoes into uniform 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) thick rounds. Rinse briefly and pat dry to remove excess starch.

Slice potatoes

Layer potato slices tightly in the prepared dish, standing or slightly overlapping to form a compact block (pavé). Tuck smashed garlic and thyme sprigs between layers.

Arrange and season

Warm the cream and milk together until just warm; pour over potatoes so liquid comes about 1/4" up the sides. Drizzle melted butter over the top and season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake 35 minutes.

Add cream and bake

Remove foil and continue baking 20–25 minutes more until potatoes are tender and top is golden. For a crisp top, place under broiler 2–3 minutes, watching carefully.

Finish browning

Let rest 10 minutes. Lift the block onto a cutting board, trim edges and cut into 4 even pavés (square portions). Keep warm in low oven (200°F/95°C) or loosely tented with foil until plating.

Rest and cut

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of butter and the minced shallot. Sweat until translucent (about 1–2 minutes) but do not brown.

Sweat shallot

Add the white wine and white wine vinegar, increase heat to medium-high and reduce by about half (2–3 minutes).

Deglaze

Lower heat to gentle simmer. Whisk in cold butter, a few cubes at a time, allowing each addition to emulsify into the sauce (mounting beurre), until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened. Add lemon juice, capers, chopped cornichons (if using), chopped parsley, and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Keep warm (off heat) but do not boil.

Finish sauce

If blanching: bring a pot of salted water to a boil, add asparagus and cook 1–2 minutes until bright green and just tender, then plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. If roasting: toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 8–10 minutes until tender-crisp.

Blanch or roast asparagus

If blanched, drain and toss with a little melted butter or olive oil just before plating and adjust seasoning.

Finish

Pat sea bass fillets very dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1.5 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper total (divide evenly). Lightly dust both sides with all-purpose flour and shake off excess.

Season and dust

Heat a large heavy skillet (preferably stainless steel or cast iron) over medium-high heat until hot. Add clarified butter or oil. When shimmering, add fillets and sear without moving 3–4 minutes until a golden crust forms. Flip and continue cooking 2–4 minutes more depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches 125–130°F (52–54°C) for medium-rare to medium. Spoon some hot sauce grenobloise over the fish in the last 30 seconds to glaze, if desired.

Pan-sear

Transfer fish to a warm plate and let rest 2 minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking.

Rest

Place one pomme pavé in the center of each plate. Arrange the seasonal vegetables beside the pavé. Set the seared sea bass on top or slightly overlapping the pavé.

Plate components

Spoon sauce grenobloise around and partially over the fish and potatoes (about 2–3 tablespoons per plate). Scatter capers and chopped parsley over the top. Garnish with microgreens and a lemon wedge.

Sauce and garnish

Serve

Chilean sea bass fillets (skinless), about 6–7 oz each

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour (for light dusting)

Clarified butter or high-smoke oil (for pan-searing)

Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices

Heavy cream

Whole milk

Garlic cloves, smashed

Fresh thyme sprigs

Unsalted butter, melted

Asparagus, trimmed (or other seasonal veg: haricots verts, baby carrots)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Unsalted butter

Fresh lemon juice

Dry white wine (or fish fumet)

White wine vinegar

Shallot, finely minced

Capers, rinsed and drained

Flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Small cornichons or small dill pickles, finely chopped (optional)

Lemon wedges

Microgreens or additional parsley

Sea Bass Grenobloise

Make Sea Bass Grenobloise Recipe in just 2h . pan seared Chilean sea bass / sauce grenobloise / pomme pavé / seasonal vegetable

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