Sea Bass is quite a popular fish frequently found around the shores of North America and South Africa. It can be cooked in many ways — baked, fried, grilled — but its signature taste remains prominent no matter how you cook it.
It has a somewhat delicate flavor that is a little bit sweet and buttery, with a juicy, soft, and flaky texture. Here are the best side dishes for chilean sea bass:
- Roasted Masala Fries
- Broccoli Salad With Apples & Pecans
- Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale Salad
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Italian Pasta Salad
1. Roasted Masala Fries
Fries and fish are a match made in heaven, but these oil-free roasted fries take it up a notch. They are crispy, crunchy, simple to make, and filling. And with the right sweet and sour sauce, they can enhance the taste of the sea bass.
We may have the right match — roasted fries mixed with remarkable masala sauce. The masala sauce has all the sweet and citrusy flavors a sea bass side dish should have: ginger garlic paste, cumin, coriander, chili powder, lemon juice, onion, and chopped tomatoes.
Plus, it’s super easy to make. All you need to do is heat up a skillet with butter and oil over medium heat. Add ginger-garlic paste, onion, and season with salt, cumin, and chili powder.
Stir a bit, squeeze some lemon juice and add the chopped tomatoes, or use a rotel substitute like tomato puree. Drizzle over the roasted fries and toss to combine. Garnish with fresh coriander and a bit of yogurt.
Bon appetite!
Prep time: 30 minutes
Tip: Don’t thaw them before roasting for extra crispy French fries.
2. Broccoli Salad With Apples & Pecans
There’s nothing better than a nutritious salad coated with some creamy, delicious dressing. We’ve already mentioned that sweet and vinegary flavors are ideal for sea bass, and once you taste this salad, you’ll see just how well the textures and ingredients work together.
Crisp broccoli, crunchy nuts, and tangy sweet bites of apples and cranberries make this salad an excellent side for your main course. You can even peel the stem of the broccoli and include it in the salad. Feel free to add onions and carrots to make it even yummier.
The sour dressing, the real star of the recipe, comes together in seconds. Simply whisk together mayo, sour cream, and fresh lemon juice. Season that with some sugar, salt, and black pepper.
Once it’s creamy and smooth, you’re ready to pour it over the veggies. You’ll never want to try another salad after tasting this one.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Tip: Honeycrisp apples have the greatest sweet-tart flavor that is ideal for this recipe.
3. Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale Salad
This salad is a winning combination of flavors and textures. The roasted sweet potatoes add sweetness, the apples and cranberries bring the sour taste, and the goat cheese, toasted pecans, and kale add the perfect amount of savory. On top of that, the salad has a dressing that dreams are made of.
Kale absorbs all the fluids you combine it with, making every bite incredibly tasty if you choose the right dressing. For sea bass, a vinegary dressing is the best. Here’s an idea — in a mason jar or a small bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, real maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and one clove of garlic.
You can either use minced garlic or use a garlic press to mash the garlic for a stronger taste. Add extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, and whisk. You’ll be able to tell by the smell alone that it’s the perfect companion for sea bass.
You can also drizzle the sweet potatoes with maple syrup prior to roasting to accentuate the sweetness of the vegetable.
As for serving, the kale and ¾ of the dressing should go first. Make sure to whisk the kale so that it absorbs all the juice. Then add the potatoes, apples, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and goat cheese.
Drizzle on the remaining ¼ of the salad dressing on top. Don’t toss it to combine; only serve — and let the ingredients speak for themselves.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Tip: Make sure the kale is dry after rinsing so it doesn’t water down the dressing.
4. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Fish and mashed potatoes are something we all crave, but why not go a step further and give your guests a dish to remember you by? Garlic mashed potatoes are at the top of the list of foods to pair with sea bass.
We have a few culinary tricks that will make your mashed potatoes outstanding. The key lies in the ingredients you put after you mash the potatoes. For starters, peel and smash the garlic cloves into a small saucepan. Add the whole milk, or use a whole milk substitute like oat milk.
Cook on medium-low heat just until you see steam. Add the steaming hot garlic milk into the mashed potatoes and stir with a mixer. Add sour cream, salt to taste, and melted unsalted butter to finish. Whip the mixture once more, and voila — mashed potatoes worth overdosing on.
Prep time: 1 hour
Tip: Yukon Gold potatoes are a “waxier” potato with a natural buttery taste and a creamy finish, making them a great choice for this dish.
5. Italian Pasta Salad
The Italian pasta salad we have for you has all the right ingredients for sea bass — cherry tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, cucumber, roasted red peppers, olives, and fresh parsley. On top of that, the Italian dressing will make you fall in love with the salad even more.
What we like about pasta salads is that they’re filling and very easy to make. You don’t need to cook anything but the pasta itself.
All you need is to dice the veggies and mix them with the cooked pasta in a big salad bowl. We suggest you prepare it beforehand and keep it in the refrigerator while you are cooking the sea bass.
Of course, the salad wouldn’t be much without the dressing. Our Italian dressing gives the right amount of sour to complement and enhance the flavor of your fish.
Simply combine extra virgin oil, white wine vinegar, grated parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, sugar, grated garlic clove, oregano, parsley, basil, salt, and black pepper in a mason jar and shake the jar until they’re fully blended. Sprinkle above the salad, stir, and it’s ready to serve.
Prep time: 45 minutes
Tip: Rinsing the pasta stops the cooking process, removes excess starch, and cools down the pasta.
Conclusion
In all, sea bass is brimming with flavor — the meat is tender, creamy-white, and somewhat buttery, and it tastes like a cross between Mackerel and Cod. So when choosing what to serve with it, keep it simple.
You have many different side options. You can make a mean fish and fries combo and add sweet Masala sauce to elevate this simple side from basic to legendary. You can also go with buttery mashed potatoes that compliment the creamy fish and give it a kick with delicious garlic.
If you are planning a big dinner with lots of people, then a variety of salads is the way to go. Broccoli salad with apples, kale with sweet potatoes, and Italian pasta salad with amazing veggies are the perfect fit not only for sea bass but for many other fish varieties as well. You can be sure they’ll leave your guests wanting more.
Happy cooking!
