The gilthead sea bream, one of the most noble fish in our seas, can be recognized by its grey/steel color and especially by its snub head with a slightly truncated snout, surmounted by a slight gold-colored bump. Other fish can be prepared such as sea bream:sar, sea bream, sea bass... or any other fish with firm flesh.
The sea bream is gutted and scaled
Two hours in advance, you can already make the first part of this preparation. Salt the sea bream abundantly, inside and out. Pepper. Stuff the inside of a few sprigs of savory in an even layer on the bottom of the dish. Gently lay the fish on it and drizzle with 8 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of water into the bottom of the dish, taking care that it does not reach the fish.
Keep cool but not in the refrigerator.
You can also in advance peel and grate the ginger with a fine grater. Also grate the skin of half an orange. Peel raw (i.e. by exposing the flesh completely bare) the 3 oranges with a very sharp knife and detach each orange quarter carefully following the white membranes which separate them. Operate over a soup plate to collect the juice which will inevitably run out.
50 minutes before the meal, preheat your oven to 250° C, thermostat 8.
Half a - hour before serving the sea bream, put it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. But watch the cooking so that all the water is not reduced to dryness, which would surely invade you with smoke. If there is not enough water, add more.
Just before serving, put the juice that has drained from the oranges and a good pinch of salt in a small saucepan on the heat, stir in 150 g of butter cut into small pieces, whisking vigorously until the butter is fully emulsified, ie mixed with the orange juice.
Then add the orange zest and the grated ginger. Do not boil again. Put the orange quarters in a sauce boat and pour the emulsion over them.
Put salt and pepper to the point.
When the sea bream is cooked, present it on a serving platter and carry it the at the table with the ginger butter sauce boat.
Source:Les Fêtes de mon Moulin by Roger Vergé.
