An easy-baked white fish recipe that takes 15 minutes and tastes restaurant-fancy? Sign me up! This simple crusted sea bass is filled with lemon and garlic flavors, baked on a bed of smashed peas for lightness, and finished with a nutty Dukkah for an unexpected, absolutely delicious crunch. 

A close up of a serving of baked white fish topped with dukkah on a bed of smashed peas on a plate with a lemon wedge.
Photo Credits: Miriam Novoa

This easy-baked white fish recipe comes from my first cookbook. I mash up thawed frozen green peas a bit in a baking dish before mixing in minced shallots and a simple sauce of lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic. Then I nestle in sea bass fillets, drizzle with more of the sauce, and top them with Dukkah—I’m a sucker for the nutty stuff and will sprinkle it on almost anything!

The crunchy Dukkah, creamy peas, and zippy sauce have just the right balance for the luxurious, meltingly tender texture of the fish. I used sustainable Chilean sea bass from a fishery near me in Georgia, but you can use any quality meaty white fish that’s available to you, like halibut or cod.

This weeknight-friendly recipe boasts a bright and summery flavor but it’s seasonally flexible. Make with thawed frozen peas and fish on repeat, all year round. 

Table of Contents
  1. Ingredients and Substitutions 
  2. Ingredient Spotlight
  3. How to Thaw Frozen Peas
  4. How to Make this Crusted Sea Bass Recipe
  5. What to Serve with Dukkah-Crusted Sea Bass
  6. More Baked Fish Recipes
  7. Lemony Dukkah-Crusted Sea Bass with Smashed Peas Recipe
Ingredients for baked white fish including chilean sea bass fillets, lemons, olive oil, peas, salt, pepper, shallots, dukkah, garlic and parsley.

Ingredients and Substitutions 

This “fancy”-feeling crusted sea bass uses easy-to-find pantry staples and a few goodies from the freezer aisle, particularly if you make the dukkah yourself. Here’s what you’ll need:  

  • Chilean sea bass: You can use frozen, just be sure to thaw it in your refrigerator overnight. The skin ensures it roasts a bit more gently, but if you’re working with a skinless fillet just check on it at the 10-minute mark. Any meaty white fish can work here too, like cod or halibut.
  • Garlic and shallot add sweet and savory flavor – See my easy guide to mincing garlic for tips. Other alliums can work in their place, like yellow onions, green onions, or white onions. 
  • Lemon: Acidity is key to lifting the savory, buttery nature of the fish. Lime is a worthy substitute. 
  • Olive oil: I recommend something peppery and rich for this recipe, like our Spanish Nocellara.
  • Frozen peas: You can take the time to shell and blanch fresh peas in the summertime if you’d like, but frozen peas work very well year-round and will save you quite a bit of time. See “How to Thaw Frozen Peas” below for tips.
  • Simple seasonings of kosher salt and ground black pepper enhance the flavor, while letting the Dukkah shine. 
  • Dukkah: A nutty, earthy, and aromatic Egyptian condiment–see “Ingredient Spotlight” below for more details. To make it, grab hazelnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, pistachios, fennel seed, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. 
  • Parsley: This dish is rather savory and rich, so you need some fresh herbs for balance. I like the peppery, lemony flavor of parsley here, but other tender green herbs would be tasty too, like dill or cilantro.
An overhead photo of baked white fish topped with dukkah on a bed of smashed peas in a baking dish.

Ingredient Spotlight

Dukkah, pronounced “doo-kah” or “dua’ah” is Egypt’s famous blend of nuts, seeds, and warming spices like coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Every home cook has their own blend, but generally speaking, it’s nutty, savory, crunchy, earthy, sometimes slightly sweet from the fennel, and very aromatic. 

We eat it as a snack with Pita Bread and olive oil, but it also makes a flavorful and crunchy crust for fish, salads, roast vegetables, and more. 

  • MAKE YOUR OWN: Make my Egyptian Dukkah Recipe and stock up on the spices you’ll need at our shop.
  • WHERE TO FIND DUKKAH: I haven’t found Dukkah to be very common at your average grocery store, but specialty grocery stores—the ones with fancy oils and chocolates and things like that—sometimes carry it. Better bet is making it yourself, or checking your local Middle Eastern Market.
  • MORE WAYS TO USE IT: Top Roasted Rainbow Carrots, add gluten-free crunch to Heirloom Tomato Salad or White Bean Hummus, and make your Roasted Cabbage that much sexier! 
An overhead photo of 2 servings of baked white fish topped with dukkah on beds of smashed peas on plates with lemon wedges. Next to these are 2 forks, bowls of chopped parsley, dukkah and lemon wedges and a glass of wine.

How to Thaw Frozen Peas

If you think of it, just take your peas out of the freezer and place them in your refrigerator to thaw for a few hours. You’ll roast them in the oven so if they’re still a little cold in the center that is perfectly fine, they just need to be tender enough to mash. Other methods: 

  • Submerge the bag of frozen peas in a bowl with cold water until they’re softened. 
  • Microwave them with a touch of water in short bursts, stirring until softened.

How to Make this Crusted Sea Bass Recipe

My goal with this dish was to create a simple one-pan recipe you can make year-round. I think it worked out well! Here are the steps:

  • Get ready. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 
  • Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together 5 minced garlic cloves, the juice of 2 large lemons, and 1/3 cup olive oil. 
  • Make a bed for the fish. In a 9 x13-inch baking dish, place 2 cups of thawed frozen peas and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Use the back of a fork to lightly mash the peas. Add 2 minced shallots and 1/4 cup of the lemon-garlic sauce. Mix to combine, then spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the dish.An overhead photo of a baking dish with smashed peas spread on the bottom.
  • Flavor the fish. Nestle the fish, skin side down, in the pea mixture. Season the top of the fish with salt and pepper, then pour the remaining sauce over the fish. Top with 5 tablespoons of dukkah, pressing the dukkah down with the back of a spoon. An overhead photo of unbaked white fish topped with dukkah on a bed of smashed peas in a baking dish.
  • Bake the fish. Place the dish on the center rack and bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. This should take about 15 minutes, but start checking earlier as this will depend on the thickness of your filet. An overhead photo of baked white fish topped with dukkah on a bed of smashed peas in a baking dish. Next to this is a kitchen towel and a stack of 2 plates with forks.
  • Finish and serve. Garnish with the parsley and remaining dukkah. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges. A close up of a serving of baked white fish topped with dukkah on a bed of smashed peas on a plate with a lemon wedge. Next to this is a fork.

What to Serve with Dukkah-Crusted Sea Bass

Whenever I make a fish with a lemony-garlicky dressing, I love a grain to soak it up. The tenderness of the fish goes particularly well with the crunch of Lebanese Rice, but really any grain will do. 

For a salad, go for something to match the season. In the summertime, I eat my go-to Tomato Cucumber Salad with just about everything. In winter, this Fresh Fennel Orange Salad matches the fennel note of the Dukkah beautifully.

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5 from 1 vote

Lemony Dukkah-Crusted Sea Bass with Smashed Peas

Suzy Karadsheh of The Mediterranean Dish. In the kitchenSuzy Karadsheh
A close up of a serving of baked white fish toppedwith dukkah on a bed of smashed peas on a plate with a lemon wedge.
The crunchy Dukkah, creamy peas, and zippy sauce have just the right balance for the luxurious, meltingly tender texture of wild-caught Chilean sea bass. If you can't find sea bass any sturdy white fish will do.
Prep – 10 minutes
Cuisine:
Mediterranean/Egyptian
Serves – 4 to 6
Course:
Entree

Ingredients
  

  • 5 large garlic cloves, minced
  • Juice of 2 large lemons (about 1/2 cup)
  • Extra virgin olive oil (about 1/3 cup)
  • 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 2 small shallots, minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds skin on Chilean sea bass filets
  • 6 tablespoons Dukkah
  • 1/2 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Get ready. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, and enough olive oil to coat the fish (I use 1/3 cup).
  • Make a bed for the fish. In a 9 x13-inch baking dish, place the thawed peas and season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Using the back of a fork, lightly mash the peas. Add the shallots and 1/4 cup of the lemon-garlic sauce. Mix to combine, then spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the dish.
  • Flavor the fish. Nestle the fish, skin side down, in the pea mixture. Season the top of the fish with salt and pepper, then pour the remaining sauce over the fish. Top with 5 tablespoons of dukkah, pressing the dukkah down with the back of a spoon.
  • Bake the fish. Place the dish on the center rack and bake until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily. This should take about 15 minutes, but start checking earlier as this will depend on the thickness of your fillet.
  • Finish and serve. Garnish with the parsley and remaining dukkah. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
  • Other fish options:  Any meaty white fish, like cod or halibut (thawed if frozen). 
  • To thaw frozen peas: Submerge the bag of frozen peas in a bowl with cold water until they’re softened, or microwave them in a bowl with a touch of water in short bursts, stirring until softened.

Nutrition

Calories: 362.1kcalCarbohydrates: 19.3gProtein: 24.9gFat: 21.6gSaturated Fat: 4.7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 74.8mgSodium: 94.4mgPotassium: 349.8mgFiber: 6.4gSugar: 6.5gVitamin A: 1539.3IUVitamin C: 69.8mgCalcium: 53.9mgIron: 2.1mg
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I’m Suzy; born and bred right on the shores of the Mediterranean. I’m all about easy, healthy recipes with big Mediterranean flavors. Three values guide my cooking: eat with the seasons; use whole foods; and above all, share! So happy you’re here…
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5 from 1 vote

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Comments

  1. CBram says:

    Nut allergies here so I made the dukkah with primarily pepitas and added some sunflower seeds. Mahi mahi was what I had on hand. It was four stars good when I made it. If you aren’t blown away, definitely add more salt. All my components were well salted and I felt it still needed some finishing salt at the end. I had one filet left for leftovers the next day it was even better than the night before. Definitely make sure that sauce saturates your fish. Looking forward to making this again.

    1. TMD Team says:

      What a great swap to make the dukkah nut-allergy friendly! Thanks for sharing that!

  2. Priscilla Davis says:

    5 stars
    This is spectacular and oh-so-easy. I used haddock and best of all I used the Early Harvest EVOO. I know your posting said use “Spanish Nocellara” (?) but I’ll just say that any of the strong-flavored EVOO you sell (Spanish Hojiblanca, Italian Nocellara or Early Harvest) would sing.

    Best of all my husband loved this dish! I am always looking for fish dishes he likes and can eat (he has some diet restrictions due to blood thinners) and this fit the bill.

    Thank you Suzy!

    1. TMD Team says:

      Yay! Thank you so much for the great review, Priscilla!