Recipe
Basa Fillets in Creamy Tuscan Sauce
Delicate basa fillets cooked in a creamy Tuscan-style sauce with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, lemon and Parmesan for a quick, comforting fish supper with potatoes, rice or crusty bread.
Ingredients
Method
10 mins prep15 mins cook25 mins total
Pat the basa dry and season both sides with salt, black pepper and Italian seasoning.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the fillets for 3–4 minutes per side until lightly golden and just cooked through, then transfer them to a plate.
Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the stock and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the cream and Parmesan, then simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add the spinach and lemon juice and stir until the spinach wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Return the fish to the sauce and warm gently for 1–2 minutes without boiling. Finish with parsley and serve with potatoes, rice or crusty bread.
Notes
Basa is delicate, so turn it carefully with a wide fish slice.
The sauce should simmer gently; boiling can make the cream split.
Fish is cooked when it flakes easily and reaches 63°C at the centre.
About this recipe
This creamy Tuscan-style basa turns a delicate white fish into a complete pan supper. The fillets are lightly seasoned and cooked in olive oil and butter until just tender, then set aside while the same pan becomes the sauce.
Garlic and sun-dried tomatoes add savoury depth to a gentle stock and cream base, while Parmesan gives it body without making it heavy. Baby spinach and lemon bring freshness at the end, and the fish is returned briefly so it stays moist.
Serve with boiled potatoes, rice or crusty bread to catch the sauce. Keep the final simmer gentle and take care not to overcook the basa.
