Orata al Forno or Baked Seabream with potatoes is one of the most traditional dishes you can find in any Italian fish restaurant along the Italian coastline. Think of the smell of the sea, the gentle breeze and the beautiful sunset and imagine eating a great dish that combines the flavors of Amalfi lemon, the scent of Mediterranean rosemary, the salt from Sicily with a meaty sea bream on a bed of roasted potatoes.
Are you hungry yet? Well, this dish looks sophisticated but is actually very simple, and if you follow the steps I’ve outlined for you, you’ll be able to create a restaurant-worthy meal in your own kitchen. With a satisfying meaty texture, clean flavor and delicate aroma, it is a great choice whether you’re preparing it for your family or for your guest.
What is Orata?
Orata also known as dorado is a small Mediterranean fish characterized by a tender white flesh, shiny silver skin and with a rich, juicy, delicate flavor similar to that of red snapper. Orata or Sea Bream usually weighs around 2 pounds, therefore 1 orata yields 2 servings as a main dish.
Sea Bram is best when cooked grilled, fillet or when you bake the whole fish as in this traditional Italian Orata al Forno recipe.
Why you will love this recipe
– I have to confess that Orata al Forno is our go-to dinner at least once a week: easy to make, ready in 45 minutes, effortless, but with a guaranteed wow effect.
– It’s packed with nutrients and sea bream is definitely a healthy fish to include in your diet, after all this recipe is the basis of the Mediterranean diet.
– This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free.
– It’s a year-round recipe, just adjust the side dishes depending on the season.
– Need more reasons to love it?
My tips for choosing whole fish
– SKIN: It should be bright, shiny with tightly packed scales. Stay away from dry and loose scales.
– EYES: should be clear and bulging; if the fish has cloudy eyes, look for a fresher piece.
– GILLS: they should look reddish/pinkish. Moist gills are another sign of freshness.
– FLESH: the flesh should be firm and elastic: When you press on it, it should spring back, leaving no indentation.
– SMELL: The fish should smell like it just came out of the water; if that sea-salty smell isn’t there, look for another piece.
How to make Orata al Forno (Baked Sea bream with potatoes)
Start by peeling the potatoes, wash them, pat them dry, and slice them with a mandoline into 1/6-inch-thick slices. Take a baking dish, cover it with parchment paper and put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it. Spread the potatoes in an even layer and add some salt and pepper.
Continue with the fish. I usually buy the whole fish already cleaned and gutted, head on. I recommend you do the same. Salt the fish inside and out and then add rosemary, a few lemon slices, parsley and 3 garlic cloves cut in half to the fish cavity. Make 3 incisions on both sides and fill them with lemon and rosemary.
Place the gilthead on top of the potatoes, add another tablespoon of EVOO, pepper and 1 glass of white wine.
Bake at 450°F (230C°) for 40 minutes. Take it out of the oven, remove head and tails, and serve it with the side of potatoes.
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Orata al Forno Variations
Baked sea bream tastes best when prepared in a simple way with good EVOO, fresh herbs and flavors like onions and garlic. As a rule of thumb, don’t overpower the delicate flavor of the meat with too many other flavors. Simplicity is the best ingredient for this recipe.
For a stronger flavor, you can add some black or green olives .
For a more colorful presentation: you can swap out the potatoes with tomatoes or use both, but
Serving Suggestions
This dish serves 2 people as a main course with sides. I usually start with a small green Italian salad and serve this dish with a side of Roasted Asparagus in the spring, Roasted peppers or zucchini in the summer, and some Cauliflower in the fall and winter.
It’s simply up to your imagination to prepare the side dish that best suits the tastes of everyone at the table.
What wine goes well with Orata al Forno?
Orata al Forno calls for a white wine to accompany it. I recommend Grego di Tufo, from the Campania region. It has notes of white flowers, dried apricots and earth. It has a crisp flavor that makes it suitable for this recipe cooked with herbs and lemon.
Another choice would be Vermentino, with its cirtus notes and its fuller flavor, it is great with baked or grilled fish.
Equipment
- Baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 pound sea bream whole
- 1 pound potatoes russet
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 3 sprigs parsley
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 unit lemon sliced
- 2 tsp salt pink salt
- 2 tsp black pepper crushed
- 1/2 cup white wine dry
Instructions
- Start by peeling the potatoes, wash them, pat them dry, and slice them with a mandoline into 1/6-inch-thick slices.
- Take a baking dish, cover it with parchment paper and put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it. Spread the potatoes in an even layer and add some salt and pepper.
- Continue with the fish. Salt the fish, already cleaned, inside and out and then add rosemary, a few lemon slices, parsley and 3 garlic cloves cut in half to the fish cavity. Make 3 incisions on both sides and fill them with lemon and rosemary.
- Place the orata on top of the potatoes, add another tablespoon of EVOO, pepper and 1 glass of white wine.
- Bake at 450°F (230C°) for 40 minutes. Take it out of the oven, remove the head and tails and serve it. MANGIA!
Nutrition
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Preparata così ha un gusto eccezionale