Seabass Livornese Recipe

Prepare Fish

Pat the sea bass fillets very dry with paper towels. Score the skin lightly (1–2 shallow diagonal slashes) if desired to prevent curling. Season both sides of each fillet with 1/2 tsp kosher salt each and 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper each.

Pan-Sear Fillets

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter. Once the butter foam subsides and oil is shimmering (about 2 minutes), place the fillets skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 20 seconds to ensure contact. Cook skin-side down without moving until skin is crisp and the fillet is cooked about two-thirds of the way through, about 4–5 minutes depending on thickness.

Finish Cooking

Flip the fillets carefully and cook 1–2 minutes more until just cooked through (internal temperature ~60–62°C / 140–145°F) and opaque. Squeeze half a lemon over the fillets and transfer to a warm plate, tented with foil. Reserve pan juices for the sauce if any remain.

Sweat Aromatics

In a separate sauté pan large enough to hold the finished fish, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and chopped onion and sweat, stirring occasionally, until translucent and soft, about 4–5 minutes. Add the julienned red bell pepper and cook 3 more minutes until softened.

Build Umami

Push the vegetables to the side of the pan, add the chopped anchovy fillets and cook for 30–60 seconds, mashing them into the oil and vegetables until they dissolve and flavor the pan. Add the red pepper flakes if using.

Deglaze and Simmer

Pour in 60 ml dry white wine to deglaze, scraping any brown bits from the pan. Let the wine reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes to thicken slightly.

Finish Sauce

Stir in the rinsed capers, halved olives, and chopped parsley. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed (remember anchovies and capers add salt). Simmer 1–2 more minutes to marry flavors. If the sauce seems too acidic, add a small pinch (1/4 tsp) of sugar.

Combine with Reserved Juices

If there were any pan juices from searing the fish, add them to the sauce now and stir. Keep sauce warm over low heat.

Spoon a generous ladle of the Livornese tomato-pepper sauce onto warmed plates. Place a seared sea bass fillet skin-side up or slightly on an angle on top of the sauce. Spoon more sauce over the fish, scatter additional chopped parsley and the halved olives if desired, and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread or potatoes to soak up the sauce.

Leftovers: Store sauce and fish separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop; avoid overcooking the fish.