Everything You Need To Know About: Sea Bream

What is sea bream?

Sea bream seems to have made a lot of appearances in recent years on restaurant menus and in supermarkets. It is so delicious, it’s easy to see why. It has juicy white flesh, doesn’t take long to cook at all and has a delicate, mild flavour which makes it a crowd-pleasing fish option.

Sea bream is a medium-sized fish from the Sparidae family. The sea bream often sold in UK supermarkets is typically fished from the Mediterranean. The most common specie we eat is the Gilt-head bream. It’s flat and fairly wide, which is what makes it such a delight to cook. I would say it is similar to sea bass. 

Sea bream is usually sold either whole or in fillets. Fillets are very convenient for an easy weeknight meal but I have also bought whole sea bream many times as I find it so delicious barbecued or grilled since the skin crisps up and gives great flavour.

It can be roasted, fried, or grilled and since it is so mildly flavoured, it works really well with so many flavour profiles. 

Is it good for you?

Sea bream is a great option for a healthy meal. It’s low in calories but rich in omega 3 fatty acids, as well as vitamin B6, B12 and phosphorus. 

It also can be a sustainable option if you buy responsibly sourced sea bream. Always look for the MSC logo on the packaging.

How to pan-fry sea bream

I typically pan fry fillets of sea bream rather than whole fish.

1. Pat dry the fillets and season well with salt. 
2. Heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a knob of butter or drizzle of oil. Then lay the fillets in the pan skin side down and fry for 3-4 minutes.
3. Then flip over the cook on the other side for around 2 minutes. You want it just cooked and opaque. It should flake easily with a fork. You don’t want to overcook it!

How to grill whole sea bream

Grilling a whole sea bream is not as scary as it may seem. Ask your fishmonger to clean the fish (or buy already cleaned) to make it easier for you. 

1. Pat the skin dry and season well with salt. Season inside the cavity too as well as the outside. Rub the outside generously with olive oil and set aside.
2. Heat your grill on high heat and leave to get really hot. If it’s not hot enough, the fish will stick.
3. Once hot, place the sea bream down. Over a barbecue grill, fry for 5-6 minutes a side but less if you are using a grill pan on the stove. Flip the fish over the finish cooking on the other side.
4. Once the skin is charred and cooked, turn the heat down to medium-low and finish cooking all the way through.

How to roast whole sea bream

This is a more winter-friendly way to cook a whole sea bream as we don't always have access to a grill or barbecue year round. The skin is less crispy this way but still delicious.

1. Heat the oven to 220c.
2. Pat the skin dry and season well with salt. Season inside the cavity too as well as the outside. Rub the outside generously with olive oil and set aside. If using fillets, do the same.
3. I like to lay lemon slices and herbs on the roasting dish but this is optional. Once the fish is seasoned, transfer to said roasting dish and bake for 15 minutes if whole. Fillets will only take 7-10 minutes.

How to roast sea bream fillets

1. Heat the oven to 220c.
2. Pat the skin dry and season well with salt. Rub the fillets with olive oil and set aside.
3. I like to lay lemon slices and herbs on the roasting dish but this is optional. Once the fish is seasoned, transfer to said roasting dish and bake for 7-10 minutes. You want it just cooked, opaque and not translucent.

How to remove bones after cooking a whole sea bream

Sea bream have bones that run right through the centre of its body. The good news is that once cooked, it's fairly easy to lift the skeleton right out.

This is the easiest way I have found.

1. Lay the cooked sea bream in front of you. Use a small sharp knife to make a cut behind the head and the tail, ie. each one of your fillet.
2. Then follow the spine as your guide and cut the fillet in half horizontally. The side of the fish will be halved through the middle so you have two thin pieces.
3. Then slide each half of the fillet off the fish onto a plate. This should reveal the skeleton underneath, with the other fillet on the other side.
4. From the tail end, lift the spine out of the fish. It should come away cleanly. Remove any bones that may have been left behind.
5. Cut the fillet that was on the other side of the fish away from the head. Use a fish slice to transfer onto the plate.

There may be some bones that remain, you can never been 100% sure when cooking a whole fish, so just look carefully over the fillets on the plate and remove any stray bones. I'd also advise eating slowly, just in case you find one as you are chewing.

Top Tips

• I like to pat the fillets dry if frying as this allows them to turn golden and crisp up a little better in the pan.
• Using a heavy-bottomed pan (cast iron, stainless steel etc) as the heat is more evenly distributed. I find you get a better colour and more even sear on the fish.
• If frying fillets, make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan as you want them to fry and not stew. You don’t want soggy fillets!

Serving Ideas

• Once the fish is fried, I love keeping it simple and serving with tomato butter or whipped brown butter..
• In the summer, salads are delicious with sea bream. Try my strawberry and tomato salad.
• These crispy hasselback potatoes are perfect with sea bream and the salsa verde goes well with both the potatoes and the sea bream.
• For something a bit different, creamy cannellini beans with cherry tomatoes are delicious.

Storage

To store: With fresh sea bream fillets, you can store those in the fridge either in their original packaging or in an airtight container. They typically will last 3 days but read the date on your pack or the date that your fishmonger tells you. It may be more or less than 3 days. With whole sea bream, those are best eaten on the day you buy. Some will last longer though so again, follow instructions given. Fish is always best eaten when freshly cooked but if you have leftovers, cooked fillets can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To freeze: I wouldn't freeze any cooked fish as it's delicate and doesn't lend itself well to freezing. You can definitely freeze raw sea bream fillets for up to 3 months. Just make sure they are frozen from fresh and you aren't double freezing it as this can affect the texture. The pack/your fishmonger can tell you if those fillets are suitable for freezing. The same goes for whole sea bream.

Frequently Asked Questions