Sea bream is one of the most popular fish in Greece. It is fished in the Mediterranean Sea or it is raised in fisheries. Either way, sea breams are very tasty fish, with firm white flesh and not too many bones. There are many ways to cook the sea bream, but grilling with a plain lemon-oil sauce brings out the subtle flavor and the aroma of the sea.
Ingredients 2 sea breams around 400 – 500 gr. each A few springs of rosemary salt 1 large lemon ½ cup olive oil
Directions
Ask your fishmonger to clean the fish (scrape off the scales, and de-gut it). Wash the fish and lay them on a pan, sprinkle some salt on them and inside the stomach. Place a couple of springs of rosemary in each fish. Place the fish on a rack put the rack on a pan and grill it for about 10 – 15 minutes on each side. It can also be grilled on coals. It must not be cooked for too long, because the flesh dries out and becomes tasteless.
In the meantime, put the oil with the lemon in a small bowl, together with some salt, and beat them with a fork until the sauce thickens. If you wish you can add some finely chopped parsley.
When the fish is cooked, place them on plates. Gently insert a knife from the cut side until you reach the backbone, and separate the two halves of the fish (butterfly it) until the flesh of the fish is exposed completely. Drizzle the lemon-olive oil sauce over the fish.
You can accompany it with chips (oven fried if possible) and a green or a Greek salad, and wash it down with a nice white wine. Better still, come to Greece and eat it at a fish tavern by the sea side watching the sun set in the distance.