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A tray of golden roasted sea bream with baby potatoes and onions, garnished with lemon.

Roasted Sea Bream with Garlic-Lemon Sauce & Baby Potatoes

A foolproof Mediterranean fish recipe featuring tender sea bream marinated in a garlic-lemon sauce and roasted with baby potatoes using the wet parchment method.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 2 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Turkish
Calories: 704
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 whole Sea bream (cleaned and scaled)
  • 1 lb Baby potatoes (halved if large)
  • 1 large Onion, sliced into rings
  • ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Salt

Equipment

  • Large Baking Dish: Big enough to fit the fish without bending the tail.
  • Sharp Chef's Knife: For scoring the skin and slicing lemons.
  • Small Bowl: To whisk together the lemon-garlic oil sauce.
  • Kitchen Tweezers: (Optional) To check for and remove any small pin bones before serving.

Method
 

  1. Wash and thoroughly dry the sea bream. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
    Placing cleaned and washed sea bream fish on a baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Take some of your onion rings and place them inside the cavity of the fish. This keeps the fish moist and adds flavor from within.
    Placing fresh onion rings inside the sea bream to keep the fish moist and aromatic.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, red pepper powder, thyme, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
    Mixing olive oil, red pepper, thyme, garlic, and lemon juice for the fish marinade.
  4. Brush the marinade generously over both sides of the fish. Toss the baby potatoes and the remaining onions in the leftover sauce and arrange them around the fish.
    Applying the garlic-lemon marinade over the sea bream using a kitchen brush.
  5. Take a sheet of parchment paper and run it under water. Squeeze out the excess water and crumple the paper. Spread it over the entire tray, tucking in the edges.
    Arranging baby potatoes and onions around the fish and coating them with the remaining sauce.
  6. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) and bake for 35-40 minutes. The wet paper will "steam-roast" the fish.
    Tucking wet and crumpled parchment paper over the fish tray to lock in moisture while baking.
  7. Remove the tray from the oven and discard the wet parchment paper. Return the tray to the oven for another 10-15 minutes until the fish skin and potatoes are golden and crispy.
    Removing the protective wet parchment paper from the fish after the initial 40 minutes of roasting.
  8. Serve hot with a fresh arugula salad and a wedge of lemon.
    The final result of perfectly roasted, golden-brown and crispy sea bream with baby potatoes.

Video

Notes

If your sea bream are large (over 1 lb each), increase the baking time by 5–10 minutes. The fish is done when the flesh flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145°F internal temperature.