If there is a fish that at this time acquires a special role in the wealthiest Spanish tables, that is the sea bream. Something that also makes all the sense in the world, since the season of also known as aligote or pantyhose It starts in November and runs until March.
It is one of those juicy and very enjoyable proposals that you always get right, regardless of whether you prepare it. to the Madrilenian, to the Donostiarra or to the Bilbao. And who better than him chef David García, who knows the coast of Euskadi like the back of his hand and has been giving many joys in the capital for a few years now, to tell us all the secrets of this fish so coveted at this time.
According to the chef from Bilbao, “the most important thing when we want to prepare a sea bream is to get the technique right so that we get the maximum yield to fish”. It may seem obvious but it is not because it turns out that the most common is that the seasoned cookers are about to turn on the oven as if there were no tomorrow when their thing is to carry out a previous step, which is the one that is going to Make a Difference.
A matter of time
“It is a very delicate fish, if you put it in an oven at 180ºC it is easy to load it,” says the one who currently defends his Michelin star in Corral de la Morería and who at the time, in just one year of life, managed to the same award for the now defunct Álbora. To which he then adds: “If you want to eat it perfect, you have to dedicate the necessary time.”
When the chef comments on this, it is seen that he says it with knowledge of the facts: “It is a fish with a very particular flavor thanks to that fat so fine and elegant, but as soon as a little point is passed, it spoils ”. So what we recommend is do not cook it exclusively in the oven at 180ºC, because that way it is easy for you to miss it. “I prefer to mark it first in a frying pan and then put it in the oven at about 70ºC,” says García.
From here is when the good begins, since you have to have a lot of skill to do this at home and achieve glory. So, before continuing, it is convenient to warn the reader that if what you want are guarantees, it is best to reserve at one of the great temples recommended by the talented Basque chef: “They prepare it very well in Zarate, Jauregibarria and Hondartzape”. Yes, obviously, it sweeps home.
And now is when you have to focus because, after 5 minutes with our sea bream in the oven, what you have to do is “take it out to water it with the rehash before putting it back in the oven, to then take out the juice that the fish expels, which has been mixed with the refrito, to mix it and heat it again in the pan ”. This operation, similar to the one I did Martin Berasategui to elaborate that mythical “Turbot at three overturns”, he repeats it between 4 and 6 times until everything is well linked.
By the way, he also tells us that “his thing is to put the salt half an hour before passing it through the pan and placing it first on the skin.” And if you doubt whether or not to remove the thorn at the time of serving it, you should know that the best thing to do is leave it with the thorn attached to the meat, since “it works as a shield, its mission is to protect the meat from the heat when the sea bream is in the oven and, in addition, it adds its own liquids to the meat, which is much juicier”.
Between glazes the game goes
The other great aspect to take into account when preparing the recipe for Baked sea bream by David García is the rehash. An elaboration that a priori may seem very simple but that gets complicated as we increase those changes that we talked about above.
The objective is raise the temperature to the sea bream based on these “Refried glazes”, as David García himself defines them, a highly advisable technique because, in addition, “it is very not very aggressive.”
Regarding the ingredients, we are going to stick with the traditional: “There are people who put bell pepper, but I stick to the classic recipe: oil, garlic, cayenne, vinegar or lemon and a little fresh parsley, that we will add it in the last glaze ”.
How to identify if the bream is fresh
Once we have the recipe clear, the next step will be to know whether to identify what we are seeing at the market stall or at the fishmonger. he is in his best moment or it is better to try your luck at another time.
In this sense, the bream is exactly the same as most fish. When we ask David García about what we must take into account to identify a good sea bream, he points out that it is vital to have seen a lot of fish. And adds: “eyes, gills and skin color they are indices, but if you don’t have a lot of callus, it is best to leave it in the hands of the fishmonger, who will also de-scale it with great affection and leave it open for you ”.
It didn’t take long to see that there are very friendly and willing professionals when we approach the La Gaviota fish shop, where we put into practice everything the chef has told us. And once we confirm that the pupil is black, the gills very red and glowing skin, we come to the most painful part of the experience.
How much is the bream this Christmas?
If you thought that this year you were going to get rid of having to scratch your pocket to enjoy a good sea bream, I am sorry to tell you that you were very wrong. Both the chef at Corral de la Morería and our friends from La Gaviota confirm that “now on these dates it is around € 70 when the rest of the year is usually € 35 or € 40 ”.
Both interviewees also agree that “95% of the sea bream that enters the markets today comes from Tarifa”, Although the chef from Bilbao clarifies:“ Yes it is true that, little by little, it is captured again in the Cantabrian Sea, just a few miles from the Basque Country ”.
Regarding the current price of this originally humble product, García, who plans to include it in the next tasting menu of the flamenco tablao with a Michelin star, goes further: “Today the sea bream is at the level of caviar, truffle or a large hamIt is a luxury item that many cannot afford at Christmas ”.
And for this same reason we have asked you, before saying goodbye, to provide us with a cheaper option: “Hake is a great alternative, it is very tasty, its price does not usually skyrocket because there is plenty and you can prepare it in batter or in Bilbao”.
More Christmas recipes
Directly to the Palate we love these parties and we have thousands of recipes for you to be sure to hit your Christmas meals.
Don’t miss our special with the 215 best Christmas recipes and 16 special menus. And if you need ideas for specific dishes, here is a good starting point:
Directly to the Paladar | Baked sea bream with bakery potatoes: the traditional Christmas recipe
Directly to the Paladar | The 215 best Christmas recipes and 16 special menus to get it right for sure