Mia Kouppa
https://miakouppa.comGreek oven baked sea bream (Tsipoura sto fourno)
Whole sea bream seasoned with oregano, thyme, garlic and lemon, then wrapped and baked until tender and juicy. The flavourful cooking juices are combined with olive oil and fresh lemon to make a simple sauce for serving.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 629kcal
Ingredients
- 1 sea bream (approximately 500 grams) cleaned and scaled
- ½ tsp dried Greek oregano
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon sliced and 1 tbsp lemon juice reserved (plus an additional 1½ tsp for serving)
- 1½ tbsp olive oil
To serve
- Reserved juices from the cooked fish
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp dried Greek oregano
Instructions
- Pat the sea bream dry. Make 2–3 shallow diagonal slits on each side if your fishmonger hasn't already done so.1 sea bream
- Season the fish inside and out, including inside the slits, with the oregano, salt, pepper and fresh thyme leaves.½ tsp dried Greek oregano, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Place the sliced garlic, 2 thin lemon slices and the thyme sprigs inside the cavity.3 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 lemon, 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on your work surface and place a sheet of parchment paper over it. Arrange 3–4 thin lemon slices on the parchment and place the fish on top.
- Drizzle the fish with olive oil and squeeze about 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice over it.1½ tbsp olive oil
- Fold the parchment around the fish and then seal everything securely with the foil. Place the packet on a baking sheet.
- Bake in the centre of a 375°F (190°C) oven for 25–30 minutes.
- Carefully open the packet so that the top of the fish is exposed. Return it to the oven for another 5–7 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the skin has taken on a little colour. If you want the skin more browned, you can broil it briefly at the end.
- Carefully transfer the fish to a serving platter, reserving all of those wonderful juices in the parchment.
- Pour the cooking juices into a small jar. Add olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. Close the jar and shake vigorously until the sauce is emulsified. Taste and adjust the lemon if necessary.Reserved juices from the cooked fish, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1½ tsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp dried Greek oregano
- Pour the sauce over the fish just before serving.
Notes
Check for doneness: Check the fish at 25 minutes. Sea bream is relatively lean and a 500 g fish will cook quite quickly. You're looking for opaque flesh that separates easily from the backbone. If you're using a thermometer, the thickest part should reach 145°F/63°C.
Nutrition
Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 80g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 1034mg | Potassium: 113mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg