White Sea Bass with Orange & Fennel Relish

This one is adapted from a recipe we had on hand from an old issue of Cooking Light.  SeaForager had White Sea Bass from Randy Janush on the F/V Knot Happy off of the Ventura Keys, CA this week, so it's a cheater recipe, but will be useful if any of you score a ghost.

Pictures first...


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 medium fennel bulb
1 cup fresh orange sections
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
2 ounces halved Castelvetrano olives (about 1/2 cup)
2 (6-ounce) white sea bass fillets
1 ½ teaspoons butter
Kosher salt
black pepper

Whisk together first 4 ingredients, 2 heavy pinches of salt, and a few grinds black pepper in a medium bowl. Remove fronds from fennel bulb; chop fronds to measure about 2 tablespoons. Remove and discard stalks. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; discard core. Thinly slice fennel bulb (on a mandoline if you have one). Add sliced fennel, orange sections, onion, and olives to orange juice mixture; toss gently to coat. Stir in fennel fronds.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season fish with salt and pepper. Add butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve atop relish.