Blue Shutter Taverna · Main dishes

Whole Grilled Sea Bream with Ladolemono & Garlicky Greens

Name: Whole Grilled Sea Bream with Ladolemono & Garlicky Greens
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 whole Whole sea bream (dorade), 400–500 g each, scaled and gutted; 8 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil; 3 whole Lemons; 4 cloves Garlic; 1.5 tsp Dried oregano; 15 g Fresh parsley; 8 sprigs Fresh thyme or oregano sprigs; 2 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 600 g Swiss chard or dandelion greens; 4 slices Crusty bread

Whole sea bream stuffed with lemon, garlic and herbs, grilled until the skin blisters and crisps, then doused in a whisked lemon, olive oil and oregano dressing and served with garlicky wilted greens.

45 minutes · Intermediate · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Whole sea bream (dorade), 400–500 g each, scaled and gutted4 whole
Extra virgin olive oil8 tbsp
Lemons3 whole
Garlic4 cloves
Dried oregano1.5 tsp
Fresh parsley15 g
Fresh thyme or oregano sprigs8 sprigs
Salt2 tsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Swiss chard or dandelion greens600 g
Crusty bread4 slices

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Fish and wheat (bread). Check bread labels for sesame and other allergens.

Method

Whisk the ladolemono

In a bowl or jar, whisk 5 tbsp olive oil with 4 tbsp lemon juice (from about 1 1/2 lemons), 1 finely grated garlic clove, the oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, a pinch of the pepper and 1 tbsp chopped parsley until it looks thick and cloudy. Set aside.

Prepare the fish

Pat the fish completely dry inside and out with paper towels. On a board kept for raw fish, cut 3 diagonal slashes down to the bone on each side. Season inside and out with 1 tsp salt and the remaining pepper. Thinly slice half a lemon and tuck the slices into the cavities with 2 sliced garlic cloves, the herb sprigs and the parsley stalks. Rub the fish all over with 1 tbsp olive oil. Wash your hands, board and knife.

Grill until safe

Heat a grill to medium-high, scrub the grates clean and oil them well. Lay the fish on the grates and cook without moving for 6–8 minutes, until the skin is charred and releases on its own. Turn once with a wide spatula (or use a fish basket) and cook for 6–8 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque and flakes from the bone at the thickest part, and an instant-read thermometer pushed in just behind the head reads 70°C (158°F). Move the fish to a clean platter, not the board that held it raw. No grill? Roast on an oiled tray at 220°C (425°F) for 18–22 minutes.

Wilt the greens

While the fish cooks, wash the greens and chop the stems and leaves separately. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the last garlic clove, sliced, for 30 seconds, then the stems for 3 minutes. Add the leaves, a splash of water and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, cover and cook for 3–4 minutes until wilted. Toss with 1 tbsp of the ladolemono.

Dress and serve

Whisk the ladolemono again and spoon it over the hot fish. Serve with the greens, toasted crusty bread and the remaining lemon cut into wedges. To eat, lift the top fillet off the bone with a knife, then pull out the backbone in one piece to free the bottom fillet.

Ask the fishmonger to scale and gut the fish for you. Bone-dry skin and very hot, well-oiled grates are what stop it sticking; if the fish resists when you try to turn it, give it another minute. Snapper or branzino (sea bass) of a similar size work the same way.

AI-generated food image. Presentation is illustrative. This menu belongs to an imagined restaurant.