Sea bream with tomatoes and capers

(also known as Mediterranean style)

In Italy Tuesdays and Fridays are traditionally fish days or no-meat days. We don’t usually follow this tradition, but I have to say that I’m more inclined to prepare fish or seafood on Friday than any other day of the week.

Since the first time we had delicious gilthead sea bream (orata it. tsipoura gr.) in Crete years ago, it’s been one of my go-to fish recipes. Easy to prepare, light and healthy, what’s not to love?

Prep time  15 min     Cook time 20-25 min
INGREDIENTS FOR 3-4
  • 2 breams 350gr each
  • olives (recipe requires black olives, I used Gaeta olives which are my faves)
  • 2 tbl spoons of capers (if salted, rinse them before use)
  • 300 gr of cherry tomatoes
  • salt and pepper
  • thyme, marjoram, parsley
  • peperoncino/chili pepper
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • extra vergin olive oil

1. Rinse the gutted and scaled bream and place it in a pan with some olive oil. I love to use a glass pan, easy to clean.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the fish as well as inside. Place also a few sprigs of thyme and/or marjoram and  1 chopped garlic inside.

3. Halve the tomatoes and place them in the pan around the fish. Add some peperoncino but be careful. The purpose is to enhance the flavors, not overpower them and with peperoncino you can easily go overboard. Been there, done that!

4. Add olives and capers and thyme, marjoram and parsley with a generous hand and the rest of the garlic.

5. Place the fish in a preheated oven at 200° for appr 20-25 min.

I served it cleaned. To avoid cleaning you can use fillets.

As a side dish I made oven potatoes but you could use broccoli or green salad. Whatever floats your boat.

BUON APPETITO!