This sea bream casserole is an easy, fool-proof recipe that will get your dinner to the table in just over half an hour. The fish is cooked whole over a bed of vegetables, which takes care of the side dish – very handy! Herbs de Provence, lemon and parsley create a Mediterranean feel, that you can accentuate further with pine nuts. And I absolutely love the bright, vibrant look of it!
The Flavour Affair:
Sea Bream + Potatoes + Tomatoes + Bell Peppers + Garlic + Mixed Herbs + Lemon + Parsley
Herbs de Provence, garlic and lemon is a wonderful combo that’s an instant flavour boost for fish and seafood.
Sea Bream: ask the fishmonger to clean and scale the fish, but keep the head on. It is rich in gelatin and collagen that release during the cooking process, imparting deeper umami flavours. You can also other similar type fish like sea bass.
Potatoes are very good in soaking up the sauce, which makes them super delicious. They also add more substance. However, if you are a carb watcher, you can swap them for cauliflower of green beans.
Tomatoes: I use a bunch of cherry tomatoes, they bring in both sweet and tart notes.
Bell peppers: multicolored baby bell peppers cook fast and add a splash of color.
Garlic: a few cloves, lightly bruised.
Mixed Herbs: a couple of tablespoons of dried herbs de Provence boost the aromas give the dish more of a Mediterranean character.
Lemon and Parsley: add a nice contrast and an enlivening finish. I typically tuck a bunch of leaves and a coupe of lemon sliced inside the fish, with a few more scattered over.
Pine Nuts: optional yet recommendable. They bring in a woody, earthy touch that associates with comfort and coziness.
Preparation Tips for Sea Bream Casserole with Vegetables, Lemon and Herbs:
- Prep the fish: wash it and pat dry, season lightly with salt and olive oil, stuff with slices of lemon and a few fresh parsley stalks.
- You have two options with the vegetables. You can precook them by briefly frying them in oil. That works well if your fish is rather small (up to 500g), bacause it will be ready very fast – before the potatoes. It will also give the potatoes an attractive golden finish. Likewise with bell peppers – roasting them first will add a nice, smoky flavour, and charcoal marks somehow feel more authentic. That’s how I made it this time. However, you can easily skip this step and line the bottom of the casserole with thin slices of potatoes and bell peppers strips.
- Once you’ve arranged the vegetables (precooked or raw), season them with salt and 1-2 tablespoons of dry herbs. Drizzle over some olive oil and place the fish on top. Add a couple more lemon slices and fresh parsley leaves – but leave some for garnish (which I forgot!).
- You can cook the fish in oven at 190C or on stove top over low heat. Typically it takes 15-20 minutes depending on the size.
- When the fish is done, parade the casserole around for a bit for everyone to appreciate the presentation! Then, transfer it onto a cutting board to fillet before serving. Use a spatula to gently pull off the skin, then make a cut closest to the tail and tuck the spatula under the flesh. Keep moving it slowly towards the head to slide the flesh off the bones. Discard the center bone and the ones on the sides and pull the skin off from the other side.
- Serve with the vegetables and the juices from the casserole.
This makes a perfect dinner for two. If you are more people, you can use two sea basses instead (they are thinner and would normally fit into a 28cm casserole). Otherwise, use two casseroles and perhaps cook the fish two different ways! In fact, I made three casseroles just the other night – this method is so easy that I still pulled the whole thing off in just about an hour 😉
Check these delicious recipes for inspiration:
Red Snapper with Daikon and Ginger
Sea Bream with Olives and Potatoes
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Sea Bream Casserole with Vegetables, Lemon and Herbs
Equipment
- 1 large iron-cast casserole
- 1 airfryer or roasting tray
Ingredients
- 1 whole sea bream about 700g, cleaned and scaled
- 1-2 potatoes thinly sliced
- 5-6 baby bell peppers
- 4-5 garlic cloves, lightly bruised
- 2 tbsp dried herbs de Provence
- A bunch of cherry tomatoes
- 4 slices of lemon
- A few stalks of fresh parsley
- 6-8 tbsp olive oil divided
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp roasted pine nuts optional
Instructions
- Prepare the fish: wash it and pat dry, season with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Stuff a couple of lemon slices and a few parsley stalks inside. Set aside.
- Wash the bell peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Roast in the air fryer with a drizzle of olive oil for 8 minutes, or in the oven for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Press the tomatoes with a spatula to release their juices.
- Add slices of potatoes and fry for 5-7 minutes until they have softened and browned lightly on the edges.
- Add the bell peppers to the casserole. Season everything with salt, 2 tbsp of dried herbs and another drizzle of olive oil.
- Place the fish on top. Pop in a couple more slices of lemon and parsley leaves.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. The flesh should be opaque (pick it with a fork to check). You can also send the casserole into the oven for 15 minutes over 190C.
- To fillet the fish, transfer it to a cutting board. Use a spatula to pull the skin off from one side. Make a cut closest to the tail and tuck the spatula under the flesh. Slowly move it towards the head, sliding the flesh off the bones. Remove the central bone and the ones from the sides, the pull the skin off from the other side.
- Serve the fish with vegetables and juices from the casserole, garnished with more fresh parsley and roasted pine nuts.
Notes
- You can swap sea bream for sea bass or other similar type of white fish.
- If you are running short on time, use the vegetables raw instead of precooking them. Simply line the casserole with thinly sliced potatoes, halved cherry tomatoes and bell pepper strips and drizzle with 2-3 table spoons of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and dry herbs and place the fish on top. Cook in the oven or on the stove top for about 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are done.
