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This single-serve pan-fried sea bass with butter samphire is an easy summer inspired pescatarian keto recipe you can cook in just 10 minutes. And check the carb count in this recipe — less than 3 grams of net carbs per serving!
What is Samphire?
Samphire, also known as seafennel, is a delicious low-carb vegetable that grows in rocky coastal regions of northern Europe and the Mediterranean. Because it can tolerate sea water, it is naturally salty and requires no seasoning.
I found samphire to be common in the UK and also in Greece where it's known as horta (armira) in Greece, or sea beans in the US. It's a common seasonal vegetable served with fish and seafood. It can be cooked or eaten raw and simply drizzled with a simple olive oil & lemon vinaigrette.
You may not be able to find samphire where you live and if that's the case, swap the samphire with fresh spinach. It's available all year round and has the same carb count as samphire, about 1.5 grams of net carbs per 100 grams.
More Simple Meals to Build Your Own Custom Keto Diet Plan
This meal is one o the many simple keto recipes to come in the next few weeks as part of the next big feature in our KetoDiet App — a custom diet plan generator!
Ready for this? We won't charge our users anything extra and it will cost them a fraction of what they'd pay for a similar service, not to mention they get a ton of other features on top if it.
Everyone who is a premium subscriber in our app will be able to use our custom diet plan generator. We worked really hard to make this happen and I hope you love it when it's out. You can read all about this and more features to come in my announcement on Facebook. Any feature requests? We love feedback! Let me know here in the comments or under this thread on Facebook (Note: You need to be a member of our private Facebook group or send a request to join).
Hands-on Overall
Serving size 2 fillets + samphire
Nutritional values (per 2 fillets + samphire)
Net carbs2.3 grams
Protein34.2 grams
Fat43.6 grams
Calories550 kcal
Calories from carbs 2%, protein 25%, fat 73%
Total carbs7.4 gramsFiber5.1 gramsSugars0.4 gramsSaturated fat17.4 gramsSodium1,197 mg(52% RDA)Magnesium162 mg(41% RDA)Potassium676 mg(34% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 1 serving)
- 2 fillets sea bass, sea bream or trout (170 g/ 6 oz)
- pinch of sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or ghee (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or more ghee (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 100 g samphire (sea beans) or spinach if you can't find samphire (3.5 oz)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
Instructions
- Season the sea bass fillets with salt and pepper. If you don't have sea bass you can use sea bream or trout.
- Heat a skillet greased with avocado oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sea bass fillets, skin side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is nicely crisp. Use a spatula to carefully turn the fillets, and depending on the thickness of the fillets, cook for another minute or two. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
- Add butter (or ghee) to the pan where you cooked the sea bass. Add the samphire (or use spinach if you can't get samphire). Do not add salt is you're using samphire as it's already salty.
- Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes, tossing with tongs to ensure even cooking.
- Serve the samphire with the sea bass and drizzle with lemon juice just before serving. Eat warm or refrigerate for up to a day.
Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Butter Samphire
Step by Step
Ingredients
- 2 fillets sea bass, sea bream or trout (170 g/ 6 oz)
- pinch of sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or ghee (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter or more ghee (28 g/ 1 oz)
- 100 g samphire (sea beans) or spinach if you can't find samphire (3.5 oz)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
Instructions
- Season the sea bass fillets with salt and pepper. If you don't have sea bass you can use sea bream or trout.
- Heat a skillet greased with avocado oil over a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sea bass fillets, skin side down, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is nicely crisp. Use a spatula to carefully turn the fillets, and depending on the thickness of the fillets, cook for another minute or two. Remove from the skillet and keep warm.
- Add butter (or ghee) to the pan where you cooked the sea bass. Add the samphire (or use spinach if you can't get samphire). Do not add salt is you're using samphire as it's already salty.
- Cook for just 2 to 3 minutes, tossing with tongs to ensure even cooking.
- Serve the samphire with the sea bass and drizzle with lemon juice just before serving. Eat warm or refrigerate for up to a day.
Nutrition (per serving, 2 fillets + samphire)
Calories550kcal
Net Carbs2.3g
Carbohydrates7.4g
Protein34.2g
Fat43.6g
Saturated Fat17.4g
Fiber5.1g
Sugar0.4g
Sodium1,197mg
Magnesium162mg
Potassium676mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per 2 fillets + samphire)
| Total per 2 fillets + samphire |
| 2.3 g | 34.2 g | 43.6 g | 550 kcal |
| Fish, bass, fresh water, mixed species, raw |
| 0 g | 32.1 g | 6.3 g | 194 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Avocado oil, extra virgin |
| 0 g | 0 g | 14 g | 124 kcal |
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 0.2 g | 23 g | 204 kcal |
| Samphire, sea beans, greens, raw |
| 1.5 g | 1.8 g | 0.3 g | 26 kcal |
| Lemon juice, fresh |
| 0.8 g | 0 g | 0 g | 3 kcal |
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