Pan-Seared Sea Bass - For the Carnivore Diet
This pan-seared sea bass keeps to strict carnivore basics: quality fish, salt, and hot animal fat. The result is glassy-crisp skin and buttery, flaky flesh in under 15 minutes.
Dry the fillets well, salt them, and use a ripping-hot skillet with beef tallow, ghee, or clarified butter. Start skin-side down and resist moving the fish; a brief press keeps the fillet flat so the skin crisps evenly. Finish with a quick baste and a short rest so juices settle.
Carnivore variations: top with a thin slice of cold anchovy butter or roe butter so it melts over the hot fish. Serve with the pan juices and, if you like, a jammy yolk or soft-scrambled eggs on the side for extra richness.
Ingredients
- 2 skin-on sea bass fillets (6–8 oz / 170–225 g each)
- Fine sea salt
- 1.5 tablespoons beef tallow, ghee, or clarified butter
- Optional finish: 1 tablespoon unsalted butter mixed with 2 anchovy fillets (anchovy butter) or 1 tablespoon fish roe butter
Instructions
- Pat the fillets completely dry with paper towels. For very thick skin, make 2–3 shallow slashes in the skin to prevent curling.
- Season both sides lightly and evenly with fine sea salt. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes while you heat the pan.
- Preheat a heavy skillet (cast iron or stainless) over medium-high until very hot, 2–3 minutes.
- Add the tallow, ghee, or clarified butter and heat until shimmering.
- Place the fillets skin-side down. Immediately press the center of each fillet with a spatula for 20–30 seconds to keep the skin flat.
- Sear without moving until the flesh turns opaque about 80% of the way up the sides and the skin is deeply crisp, 4–5 minutes (adjust heat to maintain an active sizzle without smoking).
- Reduce heat to medium-low, flip gently, and cook 30–60 seconds more. Spoon hot fat over the tops to baste.
- Optional: remove pan from heat and melt a dab of anchovy butter or roe butter over each fillet.
- Rest on a warm plate for 2 minutes. Serve skin-side up with the pan juices. Ideal internal temperature is 125–130°F (52–54°C) for moist, flaky fish.