Roasted Squash With Seared Sea Bass

The latest great find at Costco, individually sealed packages of frozen Chilean sea bass, makes having fish for dinner more accessible. Often time, I find the quality of the frozen fish more consistent than the fresh ones, and without paying the exorbitant prices. Grab one butternut squash, the roasted squash with seared sea bass dish will appear on the dining table and dazzle you in about 30 minutes.

We have fish on a regular basis, pairing fish with squash without too many other ingredients certainly shortens the time in the kitchen. This must be the most streamlined fish recipe I’ve ever cooked.

In fact, there are only five-ingredients: squash, oil, flour, fish and balsamic vinegar. (Not counting salt and pepper and herb for garnish). It’s a lightning dash to the finish line. While the squash is roasting in the oven, prepare the fish for pan searing. This Mark Bittman’s recipe does not call for a spice rub, but my pantry is inundated with spice rub lately. So it’s a perfect time to use up the rub. I dredge the cod pieces lightly in the flour (I prefer Wondra) and spice rub mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The sea bass is ready for cooking.

I scale back the butter and use mostly olive oil to sear the sea bass — under high heat in a cast iron pan. Turning once, check for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Since there is butter in the mix, the fish gets browned faster and darker. I look for the internal temperature at the thickest part of the fish to reach 130°F. Then remove the pan from heat. The last step is to deglaze the pan with balsamic vinegar to make a sauce.

Let me tell you: the fish has a crusty exterior, a juicy tender interior and the sauce is sweet and tangy. Overall, the flavor is winsome. Given the time in putting together the dish, it’s a real winner.

I plate the dish two ways. One is the intended way Mark Bittman has written the recipe using only the round butternut squash slices. Two is a less structured way using up the whole squash of all shapes, without cutting up another squash for more round pieces. The plate may not be as visually pleasing, but there are no compromises in terms of taste. Pragmatism rules for a weekday meal.

Print Recipe

Roasted Winter Squash With Seared Cod | Mark Bittman

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons butter (I use mostly olive oil)
• 1 ½ pounds winter squash (preferably butternut) or sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ½ pounds cod or sea bass fillet, in 2 or 4 pieces
• Flour for dusting (I prefer Wondra)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar

Instructions

1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt half the butter in a small saucepan.

2

ROAST THE SQUASH: Put 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil) in a roasting pan and arrange squash slices in one layer on it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter (or olive oil) on top. Roast without turning for 20 to 30 minutes, or until squash is tender; keep warm while you finish fish.

3

PANSEAR THE FISH: About 5 minutes before squash is done, put a heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes; add 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil). Dredge cod (sea bass) pieces lightly in flour (or Wondra) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add to skillet and turn heat to high; cook, turning only once, until nicely browned on both sides and cooked through (a thin-bladed knife will meet little or no resistance when fish is done). Fish is ready as it reaches internal temperature at 130°F.

4

PLATING: Arrange squash slices on a platter, then top with fish. Add remaining butter to skillet over medium heat; when it sizzles and browns, add vinegar and cook for 10 to 20 seconds more. Pour over all and serve immediately.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11782-roasted-winter-squash-with-seared-cod