Aug 222 min read

Citrus-Cured Sea Bream

by Owen & Tom Morgan from Bar 44: Tapas y Copas: This is Our Spain (Seren imprint of Poetry Wales Press)

Photography: Matt Inwood

We often serve gilthead or black bream, whether grilled as fillets on the plancha, baked whole, or cured (as in this recipe). This lovely dish was one of the stars on the menu when we opened our restaurant in Bristol. Full of flavour, healthy, fresh and vibrant, it’s little wonder it proved so popular.

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

2 large fillets of wild sea bream, pin-boned

120g sea salt

120g demerara sugar

Zest of 1 lime, juice reserved

Zest of 1 orange, juice reserved

Zest of 1 lemon, juice reserved

1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1 tbsp thyme leaves

½ tsp black peppercorns, crushed

2 Valencian or blood oranges, peeled and segmented

100ml extra virgin olive oil (preferably Arbequina)

To garnish2–3 radishes, finely sliced and stored in iced water until needed; tops reservedFlaked almondsCoriander leaves

Method

This recipe needs to be started 3 days before you would like to eat it, as the bream needs to be frozen for 48 hours prior to curing. This is to kill any parasites that might be present in the fish. When you want to defrost the bream, do so overnight in the fridge.

Place the salt, sugar and citrus zests in a bowl, add the fennel seeds, thyme leaves and peppercorns and mix well. Spread half this cure on a flat plate and place the bream on it skin-side down. Spread the remaining cure over the flesh side of the fish. Cover tightly with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 10–12 hours.

Rinse the cure off the fish, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Slice horizontally across the fillets into thin slices. Arrange on plates, then place some of the orange segments on top and around the bream.

Mix the reserved citrus juices with the olive oil, then spoon some of this dressing over the bream. You might not need all of it. Garnish with some radish, almonds and coriander leaves, as desired.

To Drink - A Rueda Sauvignon Blanc could be an ideal match here. Sharp cocktails such as sours, mojitos and caipirinhas are also excellent with dishes like these.