Barbecued bream

Sea or black, gilt-head
daurade or dorada

You might find them called sea or black bream, gilt-head or daurade. These fish have firm flesh and tough skins so are ideal for the barbecue.

Sea bass and grouper are also firm and white fleshed and delicious grilled over charcoal too. They also go well with strong Mediterranean flavours – garlic, saffron, rosemary and fennel for instance.

Leave the scales on so that they protect the flesh from the heat of the embers, allowing it to cook without drying out. When the fish is well barbecued, the scales will have burnt away, leaving a crispy skin.

Ask your fishmonger (or your spouse!) to gut, trim and clean them. Then wash and dry them and marinade them for about an hour in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and some mixed herbs, making sure that the marinade gets into the body of the fish.

If the doradas are large, make two or three slashes on each side with a sharp knife so that the heat can penetrate the thicker parts and the fish cooks evenly. However, you can normally buy them in a size to suit one portion.

Grill them for 10 or 15 minutes, depending on their size. Turn them a few times during this period and baste with any remaining marinade.

This fish is a lovely picnic food. It has a pleasant taste, which suits fairly strong accompanying flavours, so I recommend serving with a gutsy salsa or relish and some lemon halves.

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