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–+ servings

Roasted Sea Bream

Dinner
Crispy golden skin, tender flaky flesh perfumed with lemon and herbs, all drizzled with good olive oil. Classic French coastal cooking, a few ingredients and half an hour in the oven for a ridiculously good result. The dish that makes everyone go quiet whilst they eat.
Roasted Sea Bream Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients 

  • 1 sea bream 600-800g, gutted and scaled
  • 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
  • 2 lemon for stuffing and for serving
  • 3 sprigs thyme
  • 4 parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 handful dill or fennel fronds
  • salt and black pepper sea salt

Equipment

Instructions

1. Prep the fish

  1. Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Rinse the fish under cold water and pat it completely dry with kitchen paper, properly dry, inside and out. This matters for getting the skin crispy.

2. Season inside and out

  1. Make three diagonal slashes on each side of the fish, cutting through the skin and about 1cm into the flesh. This helps it cook evenly and lets the flavours in. Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper.

3. Stuff the fish

  1. Slice half the lemon into thin rounds. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices, a few sprigs of thyme and parsley, and the sliced garlic. Don't overstuff it, you want the fish to close naturally.

4. Season the outside

  1. Rub the outside of the fish all over with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, more than you think. Scatter a few more herb sprigs on top and tuck some into the slashes if you like.

5. Roast

  1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper if you're using it. Place the fish on the tray and roast for 25-30 minutes. A 600g fish needs about 25 minutes; an 800g one needs closer to 30. The skin should be golden and crispy, and the flesh should be opaque and flake easily when you test it with a knife.
  1. 6. Rest and serve
    Let the fish rest for 5 minutes. Transfer it to a serving platter (use a large fish slice or double spatulas to support the middle, it'll break if you're not careful). Drizzle with a bit more olive oil, squeeze over the remaining lemon half, scatter with fresh parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

7. How to serve it

  1. You can fillet it at the table if you're feeling confident: run a knife down the backbone, lift the top fillet off, pull out the backbone, and you're left with two neat fillets. Or just dig in with forks and let everyone help themselves, much less hassle, and it's how they do it in France anyway.

Notes

  • Daurade or sea bream is the classic choice, but sea bass works brilliantly too. Ask for "royal sea bream" or "gilthead bream" if your fishmonger looks blank.
  • The fish should smell of the sea, not fishy. Eyes should be clear and bright, gills should be red, and the flesh should be firm when you press it.
  • A 600-800g fish feeds two people generously. If you're feeding four, get two fish rather than one massive one, they'll cook more evenly.
  • The drier the skin, the crispier it'll be. Pat it thoroughly with kitchen paper, even give it 20 minutes uncovered in the fridge if you've got time.
  • How to tell when it's done? The flesh should be opaque all the way through (check near the backbone where it's thickest), and it should flake easily. The eyes will turn white and pop out slightly.
  • You can serve this fish with boiled new potatoes with parsley and butter, a green salad, some good bread to mop up the juices. Maybe roasted cherry tomatoes or sautéed courgettes. You want sides that don't compete.
  • Flake any leftovers and toss them through pasta with olive oil, chilli, garlic, and lemon. Or make fish cakes. Cold roast fish is excellent in a salad too.