Seared Sea Bass with Tahini Sauce and Saffron Rice Recipe

Looking for a MasterChef-style recipe? This sea bass with tahini sauce, carrot and onion seed salad and saffron rice is just the ticket. It’s an adapted Nadia Sawalha recipe from The MasterChef Cookbook.

Could I have been on MasterChef?

I never finished the application process, so I’ll never know how far I might have got. If I’m honest, I think my presentation might have let me down — I tend to be generous with sauces rather than using delicate drizzles.

For this sea bass I did try to plate neatly, but my spooning technique still made the sauce a little heavy-handed. Next time I’ll use a teaspoon for a finer finish.

The MasterChef Cookbook

This cookbook is excellent, collecting recipes from MasterChef competitions between 2006 and 2009. Many dishes feature the classic MasterChef touches — jus, purées and composed plates — and working through a few of them really does help you elevate your cooking.

Nadia Sawalha’s Sea Bass with Tahini Sauce

I picked Nadia Sawalha’s sea bass as my first attempt because I already had most of the ingredients. The only thing I lacked was baharat seasoning, so I made a mix at home from individual spices. Nowadays many supermarkets sell baharat, so I usually buy it ready-made.

I also left out the almonds and raisins from the saffron rice — no almonds on hand, and I knew my husband would pick out the raisins — but the rice still worked well without them.

Can you adapt this sea bass recipe?

You can simplify or prepare elements in advance. Make the carrot and onion seed salad ahead of time and store it in the fridge. The tahini sauce keeps well for a day or two. If you prefer, use baharat on the fish instead of the separate cumin and cinnamon, or skip the saffron and add a pinch of turmeric to the rice to keep costs down. Plain rice will work too if you want an easier option.

Recipe

Sea Bass with Tahini Sauce, Carrot and Onion Seed Salad and Saffron Rice

adapted from a recipe by Nadia Sawalha

This sea bass with tahini sauce, carrot and onion seed salad and saffron rice is a MasterChef-inspired dish adapted from The MasterChef Cookbook.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time
30

Cook Time
20

Total Time
50

Course
fish, Main Course

Cuisine
Middle Eastern

Servings 2

Calories 2717 kcal

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Carrot and Onion Seed Salad

2 small onions finely sliced
1 large carrot grated
pinch salt
¼ lemon juiced
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds

Ingredients for the Tahini sauce

1 small garlic clove
50 ml tahini
½ lemon juiced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Ingredients for the Saffron Rice

12 g butter
Pinch saffron
200 ml chicken stock
100 g basmati rice
1 teaspoon baharat spice

Ingredients for the Sea Bass

2 sea bass fillets
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cinnamon
Pinch salt
Pinch black pepper

Instructions

How to Make the Carrot and Onion Seed Salad

Fry the sliced onions gently until caramelised, about 30 minutes. Put them in a bowl with the grated carrot, a pinch of salt and the lemon juice.
Add a little oil to the pan and fry the mustard and nigella seeds for about 30 seconds until they begin to pop.
Remove from the heat immediately and mix the seeds into the salad.

How to Make the Tahini Sauce

Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar, then add to the tahini in a bowl.
Whisk in the lemon juice; the mixture will be quite stiff. Gradually whisk in water until the sauce reaches the consistency of double cream.
Stir in the chopped parsley and adjust seasoning with salt or more lemon juice if needed.

How to Make the Saffron Rice

Melt the butter in a pan, add the basmati rice and the baharat. Stir so the grains are coated, then add the stock and saffron. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice is tender.

How to Cook the Sea Bass

Mix the cumin and cinnamon and rub into the fish. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and cook the fillets for about 3 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden.

Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and should be treated as a guideline only.

Nutrition

Calories: 2717kcal
Carbohydrates: 130g
Protein: 345g
Fat: 83g

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More Fish Recipes

If you love fish and MasterChef-inspired cooking, try other recipes on this site such as Thai fish cakes or salmon en croute for more ideas.