Chilean Sea Bass with Thyme and Oranges on Saffron Rice

I know I am starting to sound like a broken record regarding our eating around here but it’s a truth – we just are not eating heavy meals any more. Perhaps it’s because we are old folk but I can’t remember the last time I cooked anything with beef/venison although I did just place an order with Perdue Farms and I included a flank steak because for some reason I am craving tomato beef. It’s a favorite recipe and I haven’t been able to make it for a while because it requires sliced beef (or venison).

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Chilean Sea Bass with Orange and Thyme on Saffron Rice

Serves 2

2 6oz Chilean sea bass fillets
2 tsp butter, optional
1 can Mandarin oranges (15 oz)
1/4 cup TBS white wine
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 TBS fresh thyme chopped fine
salt and pepper

To Cook the Saffron Rice:

In an electric pressure cooker

1 cup Jasmine rice
1 cup water
pinch of saffron
1 TBS butter – optional
1 tsp salt

On the stove top:

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1 cup Jasmine rice
2 cups water
pinch of saffron
1 TBS butter – optional
1 tsp salt

For the Rice – If using an electric pressure cooker:

Place all ingredients in the electric pressure cooker and push the white rice button.

Alternatively, if cooking the rice on the stove top:

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Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until all water is absorbed.
Fluff with a fork

Cook the Sea Bass:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut two pieces of parchment to make the packets. Fold in half and grease the parchment.
Salt and pepper both sides of the sea bass fillet (I got mine at Sizzlefish). Place in the center of one side of the parchment.
Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1/2 TBS fresh thyme

Top each fillet with about 8 Mandarin oranges

Place 1 tsp of butter on top of the oranges
Mix the white wine with 1/4 cup of the Mandarin orange juice.
Fold the packets up leaving a small opening in one corner. Pour half of the liquid in each packet.

How to Fold a Packet for Cooking en Papiollote

Place the packets on a baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
CAREFULLY open the packets – the steam will be hot.

To Serve the Chilean Sea Bass:

Place a cup of saffron rice on the plate and top with the sea bass and oranges.

If desired pour the sauce from the packets over top.
Serve with a side vegetable. I made simple roasted green beans.

How Was the Chilean Sea Bass with Saffron Rice?

It was really yummy. The orange and thyme were very tasty with the buttery fish. The saffron rice added the earthiness that the dish needed for balance. We both really enjoyed the dish. For dessert we had the last of the peach bundt cake. That meant that today I was baking today. I wasn’t feeling overly inspired so I just made some basic chocolate chip cookies. I should have made some of my cherry vanilla chip cookies but I was too lazy to go down to the basement to get the cherries out of the freezer.