Roast sea bream in wine and cream with olives and capers
This tasty fish supper is fancy enough to be served at a dinner party or on a special occasion. You will need a piece of muslin to create a spice bundle.
Ingredients
For the sea bream
- 400ml/14fl oz hot fish stock, to cover
- fresh flatleaf parsley stalks
- 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 celery sticks, sliced
- 50ml/2fl oz dry vermouth
- 300ml/10fl oz dry white wine
- 3 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp white peppercorns
- 1 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 whole sea bream, head removed
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- handful anchovy-stuffed olives, sliced
- 3 tbsp capers
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- handful parsley leaves, deep fried
- 1 celery heart, including leaves
Method
Place the stock and parsley stalks into a pan and warm through. Strain and set aside for later.
To make the sea bream, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Using a roasting tin, suitable for hob use, add the butter, onion and celery and fry on medium heat, for 2-3 minutes. Pour in the vermouth and wine and cook until reduced. Add the fish stock and lay in the potatoes. Create a bundle, wrapped in a piece of muslin, of peppercorns, star anise and bay leaves. Add this bundle to the roasting tin. Slash the fish down to the bone and place on top.
Bake in the oven for around 25 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Carefully remove the fish and pour the cream into the tin. Bring to the boil on the hob and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the fish with the sauce and scatter with the sliced olives, capers, spring onions, the crisp parsley and celery heart and leaves
