Broccoli steaks with crispy sea bass, five-spice potatoes and peanut and chilli sauce
By:
Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.
- Published: 18 Feb 25
- Updated: 26 May 25
You’ve probably heard of a cauliflower steak, but have you tried a broccoli steak? This dish combines hot, sweet and sour flavours in a Chinese-inspired sauce and is served with crisp-skinned sea bass.
Take this dish to the next level by making your own crispy chilli oil.
Ingredients
- 1 broccoli head
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes (no need to peel)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp chinese five-spice powder, plus a sprinkle
- 2 sea bass fillets
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp crispy chilli oil
- 2 tbsp chinkiang black vinegar (see Know-how)
- 1 tbsp deep roasted peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp caster sugar
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C/180ºC fan/gas 6. Cut 2 x 3cm thick steaks from the centre of the broccoli, then score a crosshatch pattern in the cut sides of the stalk. Heat 1 tbsp of the sesame oil in a frying pan, then fry the broccoli steaks for 2 minutes on each side until evenly browned. Transfer to an oven tray. Toss the potato cubes with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and the 1 tsp five-spice powder, = then add to the tray. Roast in the oven for 30-35 minutes (see Air Fry).
- After 25 minutes of cooking time, mix the sauce ingredients with the remaining 2 tbsp sesame oil in a small pan. Simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is intermingled and the sugar has dissolved.
- Wipe out the broccoli frying pan and set it over a high heat with the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Season the sea bass with salt and pepper, then put the fillets in the pan, skin-side down. Cook until you have nice golden crispy skin and the top flesh is becoming opaque – around 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Flip over and turn off the heat, leaving the fish to finish cooking in the residual heat.
- Spoon some sauce into the centre of each plate, then top with the broccoli steaks and sea bass, skin-side up. Add the crispy potatoes or serve on the side. Sprinkle with the spring onion and sesame seeds.
- Recipe from March 2025 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 726kcals
- Fat
- 41g (6g saturated)
- Protein
- 33g
- Carbohydrates
- 50g (11g sugars)
- Fibre
- 11g
- Salt
- 2.1g
delicious. tips
Slow-roasting broccoli brings out a gorgeous umami flavour. The stalks turn tender while the florets have a pleasing crunch – it’s broccoli like you’ve never known. And you’ll certainly be trying it again.
You only need the large centre slices of the broccoli (about half a head). Save the trimmings for another side dish or soup.
The five-spice potatoes would crisp up well in an air fryer – cook for 10 minutes at 200ºC, stirring halfway through.
Chinkiang black vinegar is an aged vinegar made with fermented rice from Zhenjiang in Eastern China. It has complex sweet, smoky and malty notes. Buy it in Asian grocers or online, or use malt vinegar or sherry vinegar instead.
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Share a tip
Save recipe
30-minute meals
Mini sausage meatballs with spaghetti arrabbiata
This easy, speedy, more fiery version of spaghetti and meatballs…
-
Easy
Save recipe
-
Easy
Save recipe
Sea bass
Yellow dal with crispy sea bass and coriander chutney
This quick and easy dal is flavoured with coconut, green…
-
Easy
Save recipe
Celeriac
Celeriac and beef stroganoff with crispy thyme crumbs
This is a lighter version of classic beef stroganoff. Swapping…
-
Easy
Save recipe
Artichokes
Garlicky artichoke, spinach and chicken rice
This easy rice and chicken dish is cooked like a…
-
Easy
Save recipe
Sea bass
Grilled sea bass with fresh rosemary and parsley pesto
A grilled sea bass recipe with fresh rosemary and parsley…
-
Easy
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
Subscribe
Unleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter
A lovely meal that’s so simple to make, the flavours were so good and the whole dish was well balanced. We’ll definitely have this again, but I’ll add more broccoli steaks next time, delicious!
Thanks for your feedback, we’re glad to hear the flavours in this recipe were a winner and that it was easy too.
This is a quick and easy midweek meal which kicks a real flavour punch. All the different elements of the dish work so well together, balancing the dish perfectly and the broccoli steaks were a revelation. We will be having this again very soon.
We’re so delighted you enjoyed this recipe – it really does offer something different, but without being complicated! Glad to hear you’ll be making it again soon. Thanks for your feedback.