Garlic Ginger Butter Seabass

Delicate seabass cooked until tender and finished in a fragrant garlic, ginger and butter sauce with fresh chilli, spring onion and a touch of lemon. The sauce is light rather than heavy, allowing the flavour of the fish to remain the star while garlic and ginger add warmth and freshness.

Recipe Highlights

• Tender, flaky seabass in a fragrant garlic-ginger butter sauce
• Fresh, light and gently spicy
• High in protein
• Simple ingredients with plenty of flavour
• Ready in about 25 minutes

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients

For the Seabass

• Asian seabass fillet – 250 g
• Salt – to taste
• Black pepper – to taste
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp

For the Garlic Ginger Butter Sauce

• Butter – 12–15 g
• Garlic – 4–5 cloves, thinly sliced
• Fresh ginger – 10–12 g, julienned
• Red chilli – 1 small, finely sliced
• Shallot or red onion – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Water or light fish/vegetable stock – 2–3 tbsp
• Salt – to taste
• Black pepper – to taste
• Spring onion – 1–2 tbsp, chopped

Optional Garnish

• A few coriander leaves
• A few mint leaves

Method

1. Prepare the Seabass

Pat the seabass fillet dry with kitchen paper.

Season lightly with salt and black pepper and drizzle with 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

Steam the seabass for approximately 8–10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet, until it is just cooked through and flakes easily.

Alternatively, gently pan-cook it in a non-stick pan until tender. Avoid overcooking, as seabass can become dry very quickly.

Transfer the cooked fish to a serving plate and keep warm.

2. Make the Garlic Ginger Butter Sauce

Place the butter in a small pan over low heat and allow it to melt gently.

Add the sliced garlic and julienned ginger. Sauté for approximately 30–40 seconds, just until fragrant.

Do not allow the garlic to brown; the aim is to keep the sauce delicate and buttery rather than develop a roasted garlic flavour.

Add the finely chopped shallot and sliced red chilli and cook for another 30 seconds.

Pour in 2–3 tablespoons water or light stock along with 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 1–2 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally so the butter and liquid come together into a light, glossy sauce.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

3. Assemble

Place the cooked seabass on the serving plate.

Spoon the warm garlic ginger butter sauce generously over the fish and around the plate.

Scatter the chopped spring onion over the top.

Finish with a few coriander or mint leaves if desired and serve immediately while the fish is warm and tender.

Nutrition / Macros

Per serving:

• Calories: approximately 420 kcal
• Protein: approximately 47 g
• Fat: approximately 21 g
• Carbohydrates: approximately 9 g

Nutrition values are approximate and will vary depending on the exact seabass, butter quantity and ingredients used.

Ipshita’s Note

What makes this dish work is the balance. Seabass has a delicate flavour, so I wanted the sauce to complement it rather than overpower it. Garlic and ginger bring plenty of aroma, while butter gives the sauce richness and lemon keeps everything fresh.

The most important part is not to brown the garlic or overcook the fish. Keep both gentle, and the finished dish stays light, silky and beautifully aromatic.

Tip

Steam the fish for the lightest and most delicate result. If you want a little more flavour in the sauce, use a light fish or vegetable stock instead of water.

Ippitizer tip: Keep enough sauce around the seabass when serving — that pale garlic-ginger butter sauce is an important part of the dish, not just a garnish.