Sea Bass with Olive Sauce
Sea Bass with Olive Sauce
Broiled sea bass over pasta with a cream sauce of olives, capers and shallots sharpened with white Italian vinegar.
Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 25 minutes
What Is Sea Bass with Olive Sauce?
Broiled sea bass medallions served over elbow pasta with a restaurant-style cream sauce — shallots, chopped black olives and capers reduced with white Italian vinegar, fish stock and cream.
Why Make Sea Bass with Olive Sauce?
- A cream sauce with briny olive backbone
- White Italian vinegar adds sharpness without darkening the sauce
- Double reduction concentrates real depth
- Broiled fish keeps the dish from feeling heavy
- Restaurant plating in 40 minutes
Unico Products Used in This Recipe
Ingredients
- 454 g elbows
- 4 sea bass medallions (8 oz each)
- 2 tbsp butter (for the sauce)
- 4 shallots (chopped)
- 2 tbsp capers
- 1 1/2 cups pitted black olives (chopped)
- 4 tbsp white Italian vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups fish stock
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- lemon slices, shredded leek and carrot (to garnish)
Instructions
- Make the sauce: melt the butter in a skillet, cook the shallots over low heat 4 minutes, then add the capers and olives for 3 minutes more.
- Stir in the white Italian vinegar and fish stock, bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half.
- Add the cream, stirring, and reduce by half again; season, stir in the lemon juice, and keep warm off the heat.
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water about 12 minutes, until al dente; drain thoroughly.
- Meanwhile, lightly broil the sea bass medallions 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through but still moist.
- Plate the pasta, top with the fish, pour over the olive sauce, garnish with lemon, leek and carrot, and serve immediately.
Cooking Tips
- Reduce the stock fully before the cream goes in
- Chop the olives small so the sauce stays elegant
- Don't boil hard after the cream is added
- Broil the bass just until it flakes — it should stay moist
- Add the lemon juice off the heat to keep it bright
Frequently Asked Questions About Sea Bass with Olive Sauce
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1. What does white Italian vinegar do here?
It sharpens the cream sauce without colouring it brown — a cleaner look and lighter acidity.
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2. Can I use a different pasta?
Yes — Unico elbows are the base here, but linguine or fettuccine plate elegantly under fish.
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3. What can replace sea bass?
Halibut, cod or any firm white fish medallions.
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4. My sauce is too thin — what went wrong?
The reductions matter: halve the stock mixture, then halve again after the cream.
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5. How do I store leftovers?
Refrigerate up to 1 day; reheat the sauce gently and the fish barely.
Cooking Guides & Tips
- A Guide to Olive Varieties: Manzanilla, Queen, Kalamata and Ripe A quick guide to the most common olive varieties — Manzanilla, Queen, Kalamata and ripe black olives — and how to use each.
- How to Cook Pasta Perfectly Every Time
- Choosing the Right Pasta Shape for Your Sauce
Sea Bass with Olive Sauce Made Simple
Sea Bass with Olive Sauce pairs delicate fish with a boldly briny cream. Unico olives, capers and white Italian vinegar give the sauce its edge.