Whole Roast Sea Bream with Lemon and Herbs

Name: Whole Roast Sea Bream with Lemon and Herbs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 800 g (1¾ lb) waxy potatoes, scrubbed, in 5 mm slices; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 4 tbsp olive oil, 60 ml, divided; 10 g (1⅔ tsp) fine sea salt, divided; 2 (about 1¼ lb each) whole sea bream (dorade), scaled and gutted, about 550 g each; 1 lemon, thinly sliced; 4 sprigs thyme or oregano; 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, stalks for stuffing, leaves chopped; 2 cloves garlic, sliced; 100 ml (scant ½ cup) dry white wine, or water; freshly ground black pepper; Salsa Verde, optional, to serve

One whole fish per two people, roasted hot on a bed of potatoes

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 20 min
Total: 1 h
Level: Easy

Roasting fish on the bone is easier than cooking fillets: the bone conducts heat gently, the skin protects the flesh and the result is juicier. Two sea bream sit on a sheet pan of thin potatoes and onion, stuffed with lemon and herbs, and come out of the oven together in under an hour.

Ingredients

800 gwaxy potatoes (1¾ lb)scrubbed, in 5 mm slices
1red onionthinly sliced
4 tbspolive oil60 ml, divided
10 gfine sea salt (1⅔ tsp)divided
2whole sea bream (dorade), scaled and gutted (about 1¼ lb each)about 550 g each
1lemonthinly sliced
4 sprigsthyme or oregano
1 bunchflat-leaf parsleystalks for stuffing, leaves chopped
2 clovesgarlicsliced
100 mldry white wine (scant ½ cup)or water
freshly ground black pepper
Salsa Verdeoptional, to serve

Diet: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Pescatarian
Allergens: fish, sulphites, mustard
Origin: Mediterranean
Season: Summer, Spring

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
Toss the potatoes and onion on a sheet pan with 2 tbsp oil, 5 g (¾ tsp) salt and pepper. Spread in an even layer and roast until starting to soften and color at the edges, 20 minutes. 20 min
Meanwhile, pat the fish dry inside and out. Cut 3 slashes down to the bone on each side. Season inside and out with the remaining salt and pepper.
Stuff each cavity with lemon slices, herb sprigs, parsley stalks and garlic. Rub the outside with the remaining oil.
Lay the fish on the potatoes. Pour the wine around. Roast until the skin is blistered, the eyes are white and the flesh pulls easily away from the bone at the thickest part, 18–22 minutes. A thermometer by the backbone should read 55–58°C (131–136°F). 20 min
Rest 3 minutes. To serve, run a knife along the backbone, lift the top fillet off in pieces, then lift out the skeleton in one go to reach the bottom fillet. Serve with the potatoes, chopped parsley and salsa verde. 3 min

Why it works

Bones and skin slow heat transfer, so the flesh closest to the bone cooks last and the whole fish stays moist even in a hot oven. Slashes let heat and seasoning reach the thickest part evenly. Par-roasting the potatoes first means they finish, crisp-edged and soaked in fish juices and wine, at the same time as the fish.

Common mistakes

Fish that isn't dry won't blister. Pat the skin and cavity thoroughly.
Slicing the potatoes thick so they're still hard when the fish is done. 5 mm, or use a mandoline.
Under-seasoning the cavity — the inside needs salt too.

Variations

Salt-baked: Bury the stuffed fish in a mix of 2 kg coarse salt and 3 egg whites on a tray and bake 25 minutes at 200°C (400°F); crack open at the table. Add egg to the allergens.
Sea bass or trout: Use whole sea bass, snapper or trout of the same size, same timing.

Make ahead and storage

Prep the fish and slice the potatoes (hold in water) up to 4 hours ahead. Leftover flesh is good in a salad the next day.

Notes

Ask the fishmonger to scale and gut the fish and trim the fins. Allow about 550 g whole fish per two people. Mustard only if you serve the salsa verde.