Steamed Sea Bass with Beans in Lemon-Leek Broth

🐟 Steamed Chilean Sea Bass 🐟
Cannellini Beans, Edamame, and Arugula
Lemon-Leek Broth
Tomato-Caper-Parsley Topping
Toasted Breadcrumbs

Chilean sea bass has a naturally buttery texture, so steaming lets it cook gently without adding oil or weighing down the dish. The fish stays moist and tender, ready to be served over arugula, cannellini beans, and edamame in a lemon-leek broth. A spoonful of chopped tomato, capers, and parsley goes on top, followed by toasted breadcrumbs for a little crunch.

Serve it in a shallow bowl with toasted baguette to soak up the broth. It’s a colorful, inviting meal, full of flavor, with melt-in-your-mouth fish, two kinds of beans, and a crisp, savory topping.

Sea Bass and Beans Recipe

Ingredients

Tomato Caper Topping

• 1 medium tomato, peeled and finely diced
• 2 t. capers, drained
• 2 T. chopped parsley
• squeeze of lemon juice
• splash of olive oil
• 2 T. toasted breadcrumbs

Sea Bass and Beans

• 1 medium leek, white and light green parts thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ c. canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1¼ c. low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 2 Chilean sea bass fillets, about 5–6 oz. each
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ c. ready-to-eat shelled edamame
• 1 T. butter
• 2 T. lemon juice
• ½ t. lemon zest
• 1–2 handfuls arugula
• Toasted bread, for serving

Method

1. Make the topping. Toss the tomato, capers, and parsley with a small squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Set aside. Keep the breadcrumbs separate.

2. Cook the leeks. Warm 1 T. olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and a small pinch of sea salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

3. Simmer the beans. Add the cannellini beans and broth. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes so the leeks flavor the liquid. Add the edamame during the last 2 minutes to warm through.

4. Meanwhile steam the fish. Season the sea bass with sea salt and pepper. Place the fillets in a steamer over gently simmering water, cover, and steam for about 12 minutes, depending on thickness, until opaque and easily flaked.

5. Finish the broth. Turn off the heat under the beans. Stir in the butter and lemon juice and zest, then fold in the arugula until just wilted. Taste for seasoning. Add more lemon juice or more warmed broth as needed.

To Plate

Spoon beans and greens into each shallow bowl, then ladle plenty of the lemony broth around them. Set the sea bass on top. Add a spoonful of tomato-caper topping to each fillet, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the fish and a little onto the beans. Serve with toasted bread for the broth.