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Friday, February 14, 2014

Baked Sea Bream on Roasted Fennel

Sea Bream (or Dorade) is the type of fish that doesn't need much decoration or sauce.  It's delicious on its own... grilled on the bbq, plancha, oven roasted, or even raw in sushi!
While passing by the fish counter in my grocery store looking for a good price on shrimp, my lovely fish mongerer was describing the delicate flavor of sea bream to another client.  Like a dog tracking a scent, I did a complete 180 and bought 2, because I knew I'd be eating a whole one all alone..

I didn't do much to it, besides prepare a little marinade of lime, garlic, olive oil, fleur de sel, piment d'espelette, fresh pepper, and chopped fennel leaves (which look very much like dill, but taste slightly of anis).
Then I cut slits on each side and brushed my little marinade all over the outside and inside.
Then I got rid of the brush and used my dainty little fingers to rub all the little pieces of garlic well into the slits.
For decoration I placed a few slices of lime over the top, then I refrigerated while I prepared the sideshow of  roasted fennel and roasted carrots.
Mmm roasted carrots..
The fennel cooked for about 35 minutes at 200°C rubbed with some fleur de sel, olive oil, piment d'espelette, and a splash of basalmic vinegar.
They were beautiful and I decided made a perfect bed on which to lay my sea bream.
After lowering the temperature to 180°C, I placed the sea bream and 1 tbsp water into the dish and baked for 35 minutes.

The result was beyond perfection.
Roasted fennel is something that pairs so nicely with fish.  When roasted, it loses the strong anis flavor and turns into something almost sweet but subtle.  It keeps its shape, but is very tender.
Add some roasted carrots and a bit of red rice, and have a meal that's so dreamy you'll forget how healthy it is.
I could eat like this everyday..
ok, every other day alternating with Indian food.

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