Whole sea bream with Green Tapenade, Tahini, almonds and chilli
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Hard
Serves 4 people
This is a showstopper recipe – one that looks impressive when served but is very easy to bring together. Cooking the fish whole keeps it wonderfully moist with no waste as you can pick all the meat from the bones. Once the fish is baked is where you can really pile on the flavour with dollops of zesty Green Tapenade, cream Tahini, fresh red chillies and toasted almonds. This is a recipe perfect for sharing, pair with a crunchy leaf or green salad.
Ingredients
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2 x 800g sea bream, scaled, gutted and gills removed
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1/2 tbsp Early Harvest olive oil
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3 tbsp Belazu Tahini
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1/2 lemon, juiced
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Salt and pepper
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1/2 jar Green Olive Tapenade
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1 or 2 long red chillies, depending on heat level
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75g toasted flakes almonds
Method
- Step 0: If cooking in an oven, heat to 220C fan/230C.
- Step 1: Mix Tahini with 3tbsp water and the lemon juice in a bowl and mix with a spoon till everything emulsified to a smooth creamy liquid, the consistency of double cream.
- Step 2: Rub the oil over fish and season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking tray with a layer of baking paper underneath and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. The fish should be cooked but to check, insert a small sharp knife or metal skewer into the thickest part then remove a touch the top on your lower lip. If it feels hot, it’s cooked, if only warm, it will need a little longer.
- Step 3: If using a BBQ, place the bream on a clean grill and for around 6 minutes on each side, taking care not to tear the skin.
- Step 4: Whilst the fish is cooking, remove the stalk from the chilli, slice in half, remove the seeds and thinly slice (take care to wash your hands after cutting chillies and done touch your eyes or face). Use 1 or 2 chillies depending on their heat level or your preference.
- Step 5: Once the fish is cooked, use a spoon to blob the tapenade over the dish, then drizzle the Tahini all over, reserving some for the underside fillets. Scatter the almonds and chillies on top and serve straight away.
