Sea Bream with Mint and Parsley on Onion and Tomato

A whole fish cooked in one piece is ideal to stuff with herbs, vegetables or spices. Be it baked in the oven or on the grill, the meat doesn't dry out and absorbs all the strong aromas, it's my favourite way to cook it. It's also less fragile to handle, a fact that always puts me off when I think of flipping over thin fish fillets in a pan.

When I cook a whole fish in the oven I simply follow my nose, at one point the air is filled with the smell of cooked fish and that's the sign for me to check it. I make a short cut along the middle line on one side to see if I can lift the fillet off the bone. Most of the time this works, but don't worry I will give you a time you can set for this sea bream recipe!

I stuffed the bream with parsley and mint and put it on a bed of onion, tomato and garlic, a splash of white wine on top and 20 minutes later my kitchen was filled with the most wonderful aroma. I could trust my rule, the meat was done to perfection, firm and delicious!

Baked Sea Bream with Mint and Parsley on Onion and Tomato

For 2 people you need

• a whole sea bream 450g / 16 ounces (or 2 small ones but mind the shorter cooking time)

• small onion, cut into thin slices, 1

• medium tomato, 1/2 diced and 1/2 cut into thin slices, 1

• garlic, sliced, 2 cloves

• parsley, the leaves of a small bunch

• mint 4 big leaves

• white wine, around a glass

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F and brush the bottom of a baking dish with olive oil.

Spread half of the onions and garlic and the sliced tomatoes in the baking dish.

Season the fish with salt and pepper on the inside and stuff it with the parsley, 3 mint leaves, the diced tomatoes and half of the onions and garlic. Lay the fish on top of the vegetables, cover with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and put 1 mint leaf on top. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with white wine and bake for 20 minutes until the fish is cooked through and you can lift the fillets off the bones.

Serve with ciabatta bread or potatoes - and a glass of white wine for me!