Sea bream fillets in a cage
- Energy Kcal 999
- Carbohydrates g 60.2
- of which sugars g 8.4
- Protein g 41.3
- Fats g 65.9
- of which saturated fat g 22.88
- Fiber g 5.3
- Cholesterol mg 254
- Sodium mg 1457
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 30 min
- Serving: 2
- Cost: Low
PRESENTATION
Filetti di orata in gabbia is a real showstopper, perfect for any dinner gathering. Straight from the Mediterranean coast of Italy, this dish adds a fun twist—sea bream fillet in puff pastry shaped to look just like the fish. Really good stuff. You get those crispy layers on the outside, golden and light, while inside, the moist, flaky sea bream mingles with Mediterranean flavors like diced tomatoes, fresh herbs, and a hint of lemon zest. And look, it's the kind of dish that makes people pause and admire before digging in. The pastry is shaped with care, including fins and even a pastry “eye,” so it looks like you went all out, but it’s easier than it sounds.
Even those who aren't usually into fish might change their minds when they taste this. And the sauce? The puff pastry keeps everything inside super tender and juicy, locking in all the fresh flavors, and you get a nice mix of textures—crispy and golden on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside. This baked sea bream fillet is way more interesting than your basic oven-baked fish fillet. Also, the combo of tomatoes, herbs, and lemon makes every bite taste bright and a bit tangy, so it's not heavy or fishy at all. It's a great option when you want to impress guests or just want a healthy seafood recipe that feels special. Folks along the Italian Riviera have been creatively crafting dishes like this for ages, using simple ingredients and presenting them in a way that makes you feel like you’re dining at a beautiful seaside restaurant.
Thing is, if you’re after an easy fish recipe that offers big flavor and a touch of wow factor, filetti di orata in gabbia is the one to try next time you want to switch up your seafood game. It’s not just a meal, it’s an experience that brings a bit of the Italian coast right to your table. Seriously good.
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INGREDIENTS
- Sea bream 1 - (about 300 g)
- Tomatoes 0.67 cup (100 g)
- Garlic 1 clove
- Lemon peel ½
- Parsley 1 tuft
- Thyme to taste
- Parsley to taste
- Marjoram to taste
- Dill to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- For the Topping
- Puff pastry 8.1 oz (230 g)
- Egg yolks 1
- Fresh liquid cream 2 spoonfuls - about
How to prepare Sea bream fillets in a cage
To prepare the sea bream fillets in a cage, start by cleaning the sea bream (you can also ask your trusted fishmonger to fillet the sea bream for you to skip this step): for detailed instructions, consult the cooking school sheet: How to clean the sea bream. Scale the fish with a knife, then cut off all the fins and make an incision to gut it; then rinse it thoroughly under running water. Cut off the head, then make an incision along the back of the sea bream and with the knife blade cut along the bone and detach all the meat, repeating the operation on the opposite side; then remove the skin from the fillets. Once you have the fillets, check that they don't have bones by running your fingers over the surface: if you find any, you can easily remove them with kitchen tweezers 1. Now move on to the seasoning: wash the tomatoes, cut them in half and scoop them out to remove the seeds 2; cut them into strips 3 and then into cubes.
Chop the aromatic herbs 4: thyme, dill, marjoram, and parsley; also chop a clove of garlic. Place the diced tomato pulp in a small bowl, then add the chopped herbs 5, the garlic, the grated lemon zest, 6 a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper to taste.
Mix everything with a spoon 7 and assemble the sea bream in a cage: take the ready-made puff pastry and unroll it, leaving the baking paper it wraps with. Place the two sea bream fillets in the center slightly overlapping 8, season them with a little fine salt and the tomato filling 9.
Once the ingredients are finished 10, start preparing the cage (if the puff pastry seems too much, you can trim it by creating a narrower oval around the fillets 11. Then start preparing the cage: with a smooth pastry cutter create diamonds in the central part of the pastry about an inch wide 12, starting from the edges towards the fillets, leaving the two ends intact at the mouth and tail.
Fold the pastry at one of the two ends towards the inside: it will be the mouth of the fish 13, then cut a piece and set it aside 14. Then create the cage by interweaving the puff pastry strips over the fillets 15,
leaving more or less space between one and the other depending on the desire to show the filling 16, then fold the final part of the tail: fold the puff pastry laterally into two triangles and then fold everything towards the inside 17 and make incisions with the smooth-edged pastry cutter (they will simulate the fins) 18.
Brush the surface with a beaten egg yolk with a few tablespoons of fresh cream 19, so that after cooking the fish will be crispy and golden. With the pastry scraps, you can create the fin 20 and the eye. As it is, transfer it to a baking tray and cook it in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 30 minutes (if using a fan oven, 320°F for about 20 minutes). Once cooked, remove the sea bream in a cage from the oven and place the fish, for example, on a bed of tomatoes and lamb's lettuce 21!