Sea Bass is such a great fish. It’s really just so versatile – as it’s a mild tasting fish it goes well with so many things. Plus it’s low in fat, high in protein and not so bad on the protein to calorie ratio. It also packs in omega-3 fatty acids (which always sound like it should be negative to me – the words fatty and acid aren’t really positive in my book. But anyway, it’s a good thing!) This Cous Cous Stuffed Sea Bass is a great dish and full of flavour – and easy enough to prep in advance – great for a busy weeknight.
How to cook cous cous stuffed sea bass
Stuffed sea bass is so easy to cook! Firsts, simply prepare the cous cous stuffing: Saute the onion and fennel seeds, remove the pan from the heat and add all the other stuffing ingredients. Vegetable stock is used to soak the cous cous and then it’s finished with a drizzle of lemony olive oil.
Next simply stuff the cavity of the fish, place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. Done! You could serve this with a fresh green salad or some roasted vegetables. But even on it’s own it’s a great balanced meal combining protein, veg and carbs.
Stuffed Sea Bass ingredients
For this recipe I used fluffy cous cous. Mixed with red onion, black olives and salty capers. All combined with a dressing of lemon olive oil. You could definitely mix it up a little if you prefered – swapping any of the cous cous ingredients for something else. It would be good to add a pop of colour with some red pepper or chilli flakes.
You could also swap the cous cous for a medley of vegetables and herbs – which would also give you a great low carb/keto option!
Can you prepare this in advance?
Yes! You can prepare the cous cous up to 2 days ahead and store in a clingfilm covered bowl in the fridge. Then all you need to do is stuff the fish and pop in the oven when you are ready to eat!
It’s a great meal for one because it really is simple. You can swap out the stuffing ingredients for whatever you have in, and you can get it ready ahead of time for nights when you know you will be busy or home late.
One thing to note is that it’s advised against pregnant women eating sea bass, due to slightly higher levels of mercury content than in other fish.
Products that work well for this recipe
Food Hugger Set
Microwave Quinoa & Rice Cooker
Joseph Joseph Citrus Zester
Cous Cous Stuffed Sea Bass
Course: DinnerCuisine: FishDifficulty: Easy1
servings15
minutes30
minutes650
kcalThis Cous Cous Stuffed Sea Bass looks absolutely great – yet is so easy to make. Fluffy cous cous flavoured with olives, capers and fennel seeds stuffed in tender sea bass.
Ingredients
1 small to medium sea bass, cleaned and gutted (around 300g total weight)
35g cous cous, uncooked
50ml vegetable stock
1/2 small red onion (around 50g), diced
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
small handful dill, finely chopped
small handful parsley, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
1 tsp capers, roughly chopped
4-5 black olives, sliced in half length ways
1/4 lemon – juice & zest
2 tsp olive oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/275F. Heat a small saucepan over a medium high heat with a few sprays of light cooking oil or olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes then add the fennel seeds and cook for a further 1 minute.
- Add the cous cous to the pan along with the stock and stir. Bring to the boil and then remove from the heat and cover for 10 minutes or until the liquid is fully absorbed.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, zest and the olive oil. When the cous cous is ready use a fork to fluff the grains and pour the dressing over. Then add the capers, olives, dill and parsley and mix well.
- Line a baking tray with parchment / baking paper. Fill the cavity of the sea bass with the cous cous mixture and place on the baking tray. Season with salt, pepper and a small drizzle of oil. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-30 minutes.
