A precise Mediterranean dish built around gilthead sea bream: crisp skin, glistening tender flesh, and cherry tomatoes quickly burst with balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. The garnish remains light, tangy, and fragrant, keeping the fish at the center of the plate.
Ingredients
- 320 g skin-on gilthead sea bream fillets, scaled and pin-boned
- 250 g ripe cherry tomatoes
- 30 ml Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
- 16 leaves fresh basil
- 45 ml fruity extra-virgin olive oil
- 60 g fresh red onion
- 1 clove pink or fresh garlic cloves
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 1 piece organic unwaxed lemon
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
- 3 pinches fine sea salt
- 2 pinches whole black peppercorns
Method
- Thoroughly pat the sea bream fillets dry with paper towels, especially on the skin side. Place them skin-side up on a plate and let them come to room temperature for 15 minutes: the skin should feel dry and satiny to the touch.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Slice the red onion very thinly. Lightly crush the garlic without mincing it. Finely chop a portion of the basil and reserve the prettiest whole leaves for finishing.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat (about 285 °F / 140 °C) with a portion of the olive oil. Add the red onion and garlic, then sweat for 4 minutes until the onion turns translucent without taking on any color.
- Add the cherry tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Increase the heat to medium (about 320 °F / 160 °C) and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomato skins begin to wrinkle and the tomatoes soften slightly while still holding their shape.
- Pour in the balsamic vinegar and let it simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes, until the liquid turns syrupy, coats the back of a spoon, and reduces by half. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic, and stir in the chopped basil.
- Season the sea bream fillets on both the flesh and skin sides. Heat a stainless steel or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining olive oil until it reaches 355 °F / 180 °C (the oil should shimmer without smoking). Lay the fillets in the skillet skin-side down.
- Gently press down on the fillets with a spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent them from curling. Sear skin-side down for 3 to 4 minutes, listening for a steady, dry sizzle, until the flesh turns opaque through two-thirds of its thickness and the skin is deeply golden and crisp.
- Add the butter to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium (about 300 °F / 150 °C), and continuously baste the flesh with the foaming butter for 1 minute. Gently flip the fillets and sear flesh-side down for 30 to 45 seconds, until an instant-read thermometer registers 118 to 122 °F (48 to 50 °C) at the center (the flesh should be tender and pearlescent). Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 2 minutes.
- Gently reheat the tomato mixture over low heat for 1 minute if needed. Taste and adjust with a few drops of lemon juice if the balsamic glaze is too sweet.
- Spoon the warm cherry tomatoes and their syrupy pan juices onto serving plates. Place the rested sea bream fillets on top, crisp skin-side up. Garnish with the reserved basil leaves, a light grating of lemon zest, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 367.6 kcal
- Protein
- 7.44 g
- Carbohydrate
- 14.86 g
- Fat
- 31.89 g
- Fibre
- 4.54 g
- Calcium
- 39.6 mg
- Iron
- 1.08 mg
- Magnesium
- 27.28 mg