Eighty-seventh Post ~ Lemon Thyme Sea Bass with Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Tonight's meal was simple to prepare, easy on clean-up, cooked in one pan, and was delicious.  What's not to love?

Here's what you'll need:
~ One small fillet of sea bass.  Mine checked in at a quarter pound.
~ EVOO
~ One smallish lemon
~ One sprig thyme
~ One pearl onion (per fillet)
~ Coarse ground sea salt
~ Surprise spice

: : PAUSE : :
I have two locations for my spices.  One is a 1970s era spice cabinet, where pretty spice bottles stand proudly on display and are used on a regular basis.  Then I have my "spice drawer" which might be a cousin of the "junk drawer."  It contains all of the lesser-used spices - the cayenne powder, the marjoram, the white pepper.  I reached in and grabbed what I thought was paprika.  The handwritten label (I inherited this bottle, so who knows...) was badly worn.  I popped it open and sprinkled a little what I thought was paprika over the fillet... and then wondered why I was having strong memories of Christmas... Peering closer at the label, I saw it said "nutmeg."

Oh well.  A little nutmeg never hurt anything, I say.

: : UNPAUSE : :

...And here's what you'll need for the Brussels sprouts:

~ Tiniest Brussels sprouts you can find, cut in quarters
~ EVOO
~ Sea salt
~ Jarred or crushed garlic

Preheat your toaster oven broiler to 400.  Spread some foil over one pan.  Make a wrinkle in the middle so you have a nice divider.  In a bowl, toss the quartered Brussels sprouts with the EVOO, salt and garlic.  Toss them into one of the divided halves and start broiling them for about 5 minutes.  In the mean time, prepare the fish.

Lay the fillet on a plate or cutting board.  Squeeze lemon over it and then lay a sprig of thyme on top.  Mince the pearl onion and scatter over it, and drizzle on some EVOO.  Grind on some salt and lay a slice of lemon on top.  Sprinkle on some paprika, nutmeg, or whatever other spice you have lying around badly labelled.

By now, your Brussels sprouts have probably started sizzling, so open the oven and put the fish in your other divided spot.  Broil for roughly 10-15 more minutes until the Brussels sprouts are fork-tender and the fish is cooked through to your liking.  If the veggies finish early, take them out and put them in a bowl and continue to cook the fish.

Once on the plate, I squeezed a little more lemon juice over the sea bass, because I love lemon on seafood.  Speaking of citrus, I served the meal with a Pinot Grigio by Vetter Vineyards - which had a wonderful citrus overtone of pineapple and lemon, which complimented the fish beautifully!

...And the nutmeg?  It ended up complimenting the warm, roasted nutty flavors in the veggies and the fish!  Who knew?

Yours in the love of good food and wine (and a little accidental experimentation),
AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.