Sarra Ina Garten’s Chilean sea bass is a prosciutto-wrapped fillet roasted on a bed of autumn vegetables with rosemary brown butter and lemon. It serves 6 and takes about an hour from start to finish.
This recipe comes from her Prosciutto Roasted Bass with Autumn Vegetables in Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics. Ina says she was inspired by a meal at Spago in Beverly Hills and “loved it so much I decided to try something similar at home.” She notes that the dish “can also be made with other fish, such as salmon or sea bass,” which makes Chilean sea bass a natural fit because of its thick, buttery fillets.
The prosciutto does double duty here. It seasons the fish with salt so you don’t need to add much, and it crisps up in the oven to give you a thin, salty shell around the tender fillet. Without it, the fish is good but missing that contrast between crispy outside and flaky inside.
Ina Garten Chilean Sea Bass Recipe
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes40
minutes520
kcalThick sea bass fillets wrapped in prosciutto and roasted over butternut squash, potatoes, parsnips, and carrots, then drizzled with rosemary brown butter. From Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, inspired by a dinner at Spago.
Ingredients
- For the Vegetables:
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2 cups (280g) peeled, seeded, 1/2-inch-diced butternut squash
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2 cups (300g) peeled, 1/2-inch-diced Yukon Gold potatoes (2 medium)
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2 cups (260g) peeled, 1/2-inch-diced parsnips (3 parsnips)
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2 cups (260g) peeled, 1/2-inch-diced carrots (6 carrots)
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1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- For the Fish:
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6 (8 oz / 225g) skinless Chilean sea bass fillets
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Olive oil
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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6 thin slices prosciutto di Parma
- For the Rosemary Brown Butter:
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1/4 lb (1 stick / 115g) unsalted butter
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6 sprigs fresh rosemary
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3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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Lemon wedges, for serving
Directions
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Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Spread the squash, potatoes, parsnips, and carrots on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and toss. Roast for 30 minutes in a single layer, turning once. Toss with the garlic and roast 10 more minutes until tender and starting to brown.
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Prep the fish: Line a second sheet pan with foil and place a baking rack on top. Brush the fillets on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap each fillet with a slice of prosciutto around the center, overlapping the ends on the bottom. Place seam side down on the rack.
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Roast the fish: Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish just flakes in the center. Chilean sea bass is thick, so check at 12 minutes. Don’t overcook or it dries out.
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Make the rosemary brown butter: While everything roasts, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the rosemary sprigs and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, until the rosemary crisps and the butter starts to brown. Discard the rosemary and stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve: Place the fish on a platter or plates. Spoon the rosemary butter on top and surround with the roasted vegetables. Finish with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of flaked sea salt.
FAQs
Why does Ina wrap the fish in prosciutto?
The prosciutto crisps in the oven and gives the fillet a salty, paper-thin shell that contrasts with the soft, flaky fish inside. It also seasons the fish as it cooks so you don’t need to add much salt.
One thin slice per fillet is all you need. Wrap it around the center like a band with the seam on the bottom so it doesn’t unravel.
How do you know when Chilean sea bass is done?
Ina says to cook the fish “until it just flakes in the center.” For Chilean sea bass, that means the thickest part should be opaque and just starting to separate when you press it with a fork.
Chilean sea bass fillets are thicker than striped bass or halibut, so they need closer to 12 to 15 minutes at 400F (200C). Start checking at 12 minutes. Overcooked Chilean sea bass goes from buttery to dry very fast.
Can you assemble this ahead of time?
Yes. Ina says you can prep the vegetables and wrap the fish in advance, then bake everything before dinner.
Cut and toss the vegetables on their sheet pan, cover with plastic, and refrigerate. Wrap the fish in prosciutto, place on the rack, cover, and refrigerate. Pull both out 15 minutes before roasting so they aren’t ice cold going into the oven.
The rosemary butter takes 5 minutes, so make it fresh while the fish roasts.
What can you use instead of Chilean sea bass?
Ina’s original recipe calls for striped bass or halibut. Both are thinner fillets, so reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes.
Cod and swordfish also work well with the prosciutto wrap. The key is using a firm, thick fillet that won’t fall apart. Avoid flaky, thin fish like sole or tilapia because they can’t support the prosciutto and they overcook before it crisps.
Why make the butter with rosemary sprigs instead of chopped rosemary?
Cooking whole sprigs in the butter infuses the rosemary flavor without leaving chewy bits of herb in the sauce. You get all the flavor and none of the texture.
The butter also needs to brown slightly, which takes about 5 minutes over low heat. That browning adds a nutty depth that raw butter doesn’t have. Pull the rosemary out as soon as it crisps, stir in the lemon juice, and the sauce is done.
