Jane Grigson's Fish Book - Jane Grigson [175]
I discovered this the hard way, in 1970. We had been to eat in London’s first Japanese restaurant. The first experience of sashimi. And we had been told that the favourite Japanese fish for it was a red sea bream, the famous tai mentioned above. Next week I saw some fillets labelled ‘bream’ at the fishmonger’s. Were they fresh, very fresh? I asked. The answer was yes. And I bought some. My sashimi was not a success: in fact it was repulsive because the texture was wrong – the ‘bream’ was really Norway haddock.
This is not to say that true sea bream, as a general rule, are one of the world’s greatest gastronomic treats. They are not, but some varieties like the gilt-head bream (the true daurade, named for its golden colour) are very good. And even the more ordinary ones do not deserve to be confused with redfish. I once saw a sea bream in our Montoire market in France which stood out because of its colour. The consistent deep rose was astonishing, as brilliant almost as Zéphirine Drouhin in full flower. It was irresistible, but I have to confess that the flavour, though pleasant, was not outstanding.
Perhaps the most sombre, mute-looking sheepshead would have been a better choice for dinner, in spite of its sad appearance. The five dark stripes that run down the skin from top to belly reminded people of prison uniforms and they called it convict fish: the skin is tough, too, and needs to be removed as a rule, especially for fillets. Otherwise, no special preparation is required apart from the obvious cleaning and scaling.
BAKED BREAM I (Besugo al horno)
Here and in the next two recipes are versions of the Spanish way of cooking sea bream. They are all lively in flavour, especially the second and third recipes which depend on two particular techniques of Spanish cookery – a majado being a pounded mixture of nuts much used in Catalan and Mediterranean cooking, and a sofrito being a blend of onion, garlic and tomato slowly fried to a purée. Both can be used on their own, as in these recipes, or as the basis or flavouring of sauces, soups and stews.
Serves 4
1½ kg (3 lb) sea bream, cleaned, scaled
1 small lemon
salt, pepper
olive oil
500–750 g (1–1½ lb) potatoes or 2 large onions
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
8 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
leaves of 1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to gas 7, 220°C (425°F). Choose a gratin dish that will take the bream comfortably on its bed of potatoes or onions.
Slash the plumpest part of the bream three times on each side of the backbone. Slice the lemon so that you have enough thin slices to tuck into the slashes and 4 wedges to go with the finished dish. Season the bream and put the slices in place. Brush out the gratin dish with oil.
Peel and slice the potatoes or onions. Plunge the slices into rapidly boiling salted water until they are half-cooked, then drain them and spread them out in the dish. On top lay the bream, trying not to dislodge the lemon slices on the under side.
Heat 175 ml (6 fl oz) olive oil in a small pan and fry the garlic until it is pale brown and the oil well flavoured. Mix breadcrumbs and parsley and add the lukewarm oil through a strainer. Spread this mixture over the bream. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Serve with the lemon wedges.
BAKED BREAM II (Besugo al horno)
Serves 4
bream as in Baked bream 1 above or 2 smaller bream, cleaned, scaled
olive oil
1 lemon, cut into slices and wedges, as above
salt, pepper
125 ml (4 fl oz) dry white wine
MAJADO
3 ripe firm tomatoes, medium to large size
4 large cloves garlic in their skins
2–3 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds
1–2 tablespoons