Recipe: Dorade Provençale

Name: Dorade Provençale
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: Dorade Provençale for 4 people:2 beautiful royal sea breams of about 500 g (17.75 oz); 1 finely chopped onion; 300 g (10.5 oz) of tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into small dice; 2 garlic cloves, germ removed and chopped; Herbs; thyme, tarragon, parsley, rosemary and coriander chopped together; black olives; salt, ground pepper and olive oil

By AFTouch-Cuisine 5/5 (4 reviews) · 🍳 4 made it

Prep 15 min

Cook 10 min

Total 25 min

Servings 4 serv.

A recipe for aftouch-cuisine by chef Sylvain Bel, member like me of the Association of French Chefs Royal bream is delicate white fish that hates overcooking. Here we stuff it with Mediterranean herbs and pan-fry it skin-side down to get that crunch, then finish in the oven with tomato sauce. The anise butter at the end is what makes the dish.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Adjust for

servings

Dorade Provençale for 4 people:

2 beautiful royal sea breams of about 500 g (17.75 oz)
1 finely chopped onion
300 g (10.5 oz) of tomatoes, peeled, seeded and cut into small dice
2 garlic cloves, germ removed and chopped
Herbs
thyme, tarragon, parsley, rosemary and coriander chopped together
black olives
salt, ground pepper and olive oil

Step-by-step directions

1 Buy 2 royal sea breams of about 500 g (17.75 oz). Debone them from the back, clean them and wash them then dry them well as it should be and keep cool.

2 Heat a little olive oil and prepare a tomato fondue with the onion and garlic, then salt and pepper and keep warm.

3 Wash and chop the following herbs: thyme, tarragon, parsley, rosemary, coriander.

4 Mix the herbs then add salt and pepper.

5 Stuff the sea bream with this herb mixture.

6 Pan-fry the sea bream in olive oil and when you flip it, remove the skin then cover the already cooked side with tomato fondue,
Decorate with black olives, then pass to the oven for a few minutes.
Serve this sea bream on a plate or dish accompanied by an anised butter.

Chef's tip

Bream provençale is a warm-season dish, from May onward when tomatoes start coming in and garden herbs grow fast. At home it's a laid-back Sunday lunch on the terrace with friends, nothing rushed. In a restaurant it's a reliable classic that doesn't tire: one 500g fish per person is just the right portion, no heavy sides needed. Royal bream is fished from April to September, summer being peak season. Wine-wise, you want dry white. A Chablis premier cru if budget allows, otherwise a Sancerre or Muscadet sur lie work well with the tomato and anise. Light reds like Beaujolais cru work too if you insist, but white stays more natural. For accompaniment, skip complicated stuff. Steamed potatoes or a simple peppery rocket salad, that's it. Some add sautéed button mushrooms with garlic, which isn't bad either. The key is keeping the bream as the star. Serve the tomato sauce in a separate dish so everyone seasons to taste.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace black olives with other varieties?

Yes. Green cracked olives add more acidity, different vibe. Lucques olives work well too, less salty. Skip pitted ones in jars, they taste of nothing. Go for whole olives bought loose from your greengrocer.

Why remove the skin after flipping the bream in the pan?

Because skin cooked twice becomes rubbery. We fry it once to get it crispy, then remove it so the tomato sauce and oven don't soften it. The fillet stays tender, the skin stays crispy.

How do I adapt this for a child who dislikes anise?

Replace anise butter with plain lemon butter or herb butter (parsley, tarragon). Keep anise out of sight. You can also skip the anise butter entirely and finish simply with olive oil and fresh lemon juice.