One-pan Sea Bream
This is such a great fish recipe when you don’t want to complicate things and want to keep it nice and simple, especially during hot spring and summer days. This one-pan fish dish is also perfect for a healthy, tasty midweek lunch or dinner because it is:
- easy to make
- made in just 30 minutes
- quick, light and healthy
- you can use the whole fish
- full of vitamins and vegetables
- juicy and perfectly cooked fish
- dairy free and gluten free
Ingredients
There aren't many ingredients in this recipe, but the dish is still rich and super tasty.
Sea Bream - Always use a local fish from a sustainable source. If Sea Bream isn't available in your area you can use whole sea bass, red mullet, trout. The fish should be scaled, gutted with gills removed.
Olive Oil - Olive oil, fish and sea are a natural Mediterranean combination that always wins. We don't recommend any olive oil substitutions.
Fennel - Fennel is a wonderful vegetable that goes amazingly well with fish. Use sliced fresh fennel. Leafy part can be used as a herb. If for some reason you can't find fennel in your local store or if you don't like it, you can leave it out and only use tomatoes.
Cherry Tomatoes - You can any other type of tomato too or if they aren't in season, you can use a few sun-dried tomatoes too.
Wine - Use dry white wine, for example, Chardonnay. The alcohol will evaporate.
Can I use a fillet instead of the whole fish?
You can. However, the preparation time is slightly different. Place the fish fillet (skin side down) to a hot pan. Pan fry for about 3 - 4 minutes, then turn around and fry for another minute. Remove the fillet from the pan and continue preparing the vegetables and sauce. Once you've added the capers, place the fillet back into the pan.
Spread
If you have any leftovers from the fish, you can use them (without the bones and the skin) in a delicious homemade fish spread.
Other tasty fish dishes to try
- Roasted new potato, trout and asparagus traybake
- Pea and fish cakes with horseradish sauce
- Pan-fried Salmon with Aromatic Couscous
- Salmon Wellington
METHOD
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preparation
Pat dry the fish with paper towels on both sides. Using a sharp knife cut the skin on both sides of the fish twice, approx 0.5 cm / 0.2-inch deep. Drizzle with olive oil. Clean the fennel and cut it on 2 cm (1-inch) slices. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
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pan fry the fish
Place a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of olive oil. Gently place the fish into a hot pan. Cook for about 4 - 5 minutes on each side (depending on the size). Season with salt once you turn the fish.
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Sauce
Add sliced garlic, fennel, cherry tomatoes and two slices of lemon to the fish. Pour in the white wine and water. Season with salt slightly (don't forget that the fish is salty already). Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat, then add the capers and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
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Serve
Divide the dish between two plates. Add the veggies and serve. Optionally serve with baked potato wedges or white bread. Enjoy.
