Skip to main content

Pan-Cooked Bass with Dill and Cucumber

Cucumbers provide visual appeal and help keep the fish fillets delightfully moist.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    15 min

  • Yield

    Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3

tablespoons unsalted butter

4

(5- to 7-oz) black sea bass or striped bass fillets (1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) with skin

1

/2 teaspoon salt

1

/4 teaspoon black pepper

1

1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1

/2 seedless cucumber (often plastic-wrapped), very thinly sliced

Special Equipment

parchment paper

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet, then remove from heat and cool. Put fillets, flesh sides down, in butter, then turn over so skin sides are down. Sprinkle fish with salt (1/2 teaspoon), pepper (1/4 teaspoon), and 1 tablespoon dill. Arrange cucumber slices overlapping on fish (like scales) and season with salt and pepper. Cover fish directly with a piece of buttered parchment paper (buttered side down) large enough to cover it, then tightly cover skillet with lid or foil.

    Step 2

    Cook fish over moderately high heat until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness of fish. Remove parchment and sprinkle fish with remaining 1/2 tablespoon dill and drizzle with some pan juices.