INTRODUCTION

The sea bream is a typical fish in the gastronomy of Spain. It is a fish with oval body, tall, with big head, thick lips and small eyes. Its length is about 8 inches.

The fishing season of the sea bream is in fall. The prices of a wild sea bream is usually high. For theses two reasons, there is fish farm industry in Spain high developed, that produces about 15.000 tons. Valencia, Murcia and Canarias are the largest producers of the Country.

The sea bream is usually sold by whole pieces. The weight of a wild sea bream unit ranges from 25 ounces in smaller specimens, and 8 lb in the largest. The weight of sea bream farmed is typically between 7 ounces (ration) and 35 ounces. Some specimens of wild sea breams reach 25 inches.

Sea bream is a semi-fat fish and therefore low calories, so if you cook easily and with little fat, consumption is right in weight control diets.

Sea bream baked in a salt crust (Dorada a la sal) is one of the most traditional way in our country to cook this fish. It is usually accompanied it with vinaigrette, mayonnaise, tartar, mushrooms, mild garlic sauce, lemon sauce, etc. In Mediterranean coast, sea bream is used for fish stew.

There are not easiest ways to cook sea bream as this way. Cook fish into a salt crust gets a soft and juicy meat, a flavor more intense and it is a healthy method of cooking. The most difficult issue of this recipe is not to see the when the fish is cooked, but it is a matter of a little practice.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Sea bream (about 25 ounces)
• 4-5 pounds Coarse salt

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 390 ºF. Wet sea bream and wring it. Take an oven tray and put a salt layer (you also can use oven paper, but I usually prefer first option). The, cover the sea bream completely with the salt.

Discover the eye of the fish. This way, you will intuit if the sea ream is totally cooked. Put the tray into the oven (390 ºF) and bake for 40-45 minutes. The eye of the sea bream will get white and opaque (see pics above).

Once the time has passed, remove the try from the oven and let stand five minutes. Then, break the salt crust, do it with a fork o a knife, giving a knock. Remove fish from the tray and put it on a plate.

Remove the skin and gets its loins. Handle it with care when removing the skin and serve.

TASTING

You can accompany the fish with mashed potatoes, some sauce or with a simple salad.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS

Table with information about calories, fat, cholesterol and other parameters for one serving of this recipe. Important: nutritional data refers to raw ingredients, before cooking.