Baked Sea Bream: Spanish Fish on Crispy Potato Bed (58) 2026

This baked sea bream with potatoes is a simple, deeply Mediterranean dish worthy of a celebration table. The whole fish roasts on a bed of thinly sliced potatoes and artichokes, soaking up olive oil, garlic and Sherry as it cooks.

To take the fish to another level, it is served with a bright lemon sauce that respects the flavors of the sea bream and the vegetables beneath it. The result is exquisite, and the sauce comes together in minutes while the fish is in the oven.

If sea bream is not available, the same method works beautifully with gilt-head bream, turbot, hake or sea bass. Simply ask your fishmonger for the whole fish, cleaned and ready to bake, and the result will be a sure success at any table.

Ingredients for Baked Sea Bream

This recipe makes 5 servings.

• 1 whole cleaned sea bream (about 1 kg)
• 1 whole cleaned sea bream (about 1 kg)
• 1 kg potatoes
• 2 artichokes
• 2 lemons
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 pinches coarse salt
• 2 handfuls fresh parsley leaves
• 120 ml Sherry wine
• 75 g shallots
• 120 ml fish stock
• 1 pinch sugar

How to Make Baked Sea Bream Step by Step

1. Slice the potatoes

Preheat the oven to 200 ºC. Meanwhile, wash, peel and cut 1 kg of potatoes into very thin slices, then set them aside.

2. Clean and cut the artichokes

Clean 2 artichokes, removing the toughest outer leaves and the choke in the center. Cut them into quarters and rub them with half a lemon to keep them from turning black.

3. Start the potato layer

In an ovenproof dish, arrange a first layer of potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil.

4. Add the rest of the potatoes and artichokes

Place the remaining potatoes on top of the first layer and add the artichokes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle again with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil.

5. Make the garlic and parsley paste

Slice and fry 2 garlic cloves for a few seconds in a pan with a little olive oil over medium-low heat so they do not burn. Drain them and transfer to a mortar, then add 2 pinches of coarse salt and a handful of parsley leaves and pound everything into a paste.

6. Add the Sherry and bake the vegetables

Add 100 ml of Sherry wine to the mortar, mix well and pour this mixture over the potatoes and artichokes. Cover the tray with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes at 200 ºC.

7. Place the fish on the potatoes

When the potatoes and artichokes are cooked, remove the dish from the oven and take off the parchment and aluminum foil. Set the sea bream on top of the potato bed.

8. Drizzle with oil and bake the fish

Drizzle the fish with a generous pour of olive oil, add a little salt and bake for 30 minutes at 200 ºC.

9. Start the lemon sauce

While the sea bream is in the oven, make a rich lemon sauce to accompany the fish. Cut 75 g of shallots into small pieces and sauté them in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a few minutes over medium heat. When the shallot is translucent, add 45 ml of lemon juice and 120 ml of fish stock and let the mixture boil. Finally, add 20 ml of Sherry wine and remove the pan from the heat.

10. Blend the sauce

Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a blender jar with a bunch of chopped parsley and add 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil.

11. Season the sauce

Season with salt and pepper, add 1 pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the lemon and blend everything together. Taste the sauce and, if it is too acidic, add a little more sugar. You can also add the roasting juices from the sea bream to boost the flavor of the sauce.

12. Serve the sea bream

When the baking time is up, remove the sea bream from the oven, decorate it with lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley, and bring it to the table with the sauce served separately in a sauceboat so each guest can help themselves.

Tips for the Best Baked Sea Bream

Choose a fresh, cleaned whole fish

Ask your trusted fishmonger for the fish whole, cleaned and ready to bake, around 1 kg. If sea bream is not available, gilt-head bream, turbot, hake or sea bass all work with this exact method.

Slice the potatoes very thin

Thin, even potato slices are what let the bed cook through in 45 minutes under foil. Cut them as uniformly as you can so they soften evenly and turn golden at the edges.

Balance the lemon sauce

Taste the sauce before serving and add a little more sugar if the lemon is too sharp. Stirring in the roasting juices from the fish deepens the flavor and ties the sauce to the dish.

30 Top Recipes I Enjoy Cooking at Home

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a balanced lineup ready to go: simple comfort dishes, well-known international plates, and desserts that make everyone happy.

On nights when I want something rich and indulgent, my picks tend to be this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this elegant Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a decadent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And whenever something fruity and soothing sounds good, this classic French Tarte Tatin recipe is the one I keep coming back to.

For quick breakfasts and lighter plates, these fluffy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe are a regular in my rotation, along with a satisfying Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe and these fresh Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And for a gluten-free staple to keep in the pantry, this simple Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe is one I like to prepare.

When tapas and Mediterranean flavors are calling, I move between this bold Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, crispy Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, creamy Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and refreshing Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This crisp Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe is also a favorite of mine to serve when the occasion calls for something a bit more special.

For filling lunches and cozy dinners, these are the ones I always point people toward: this comforting Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, traditional Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, rich Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and creamy Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. And if I'm after something even heartier, I'll bake this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, a rustic Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the ultra-comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street food and party-style plates are another mood I cook for often, and that usually means this juicy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, crispy Salchipapas recipe, flavorful Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crunchy Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These easy Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe are another one I like to set out as a no-fuss appetizer or snack.

And when I'm building drinks and a full spread for company, dinner often gets paired with this refreshing Original Cuban Mojito recipe, this bold Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To fill out the table, this tangy French Remoulade Sauce recipe works great on the side, and this striking Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe makes a beautiful finish.

Additional Tasty Recipes the Whole Family Will Enjoy

After years of testing and fine-tuning recipes in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the strongest dishes rely on three things: simplicity, techniques you can trust, and serious flavor.

The recipes gathered here are the ones I genuinely keep coming back to—whether it's a fast meal just for me or something a little more special for friends and family.

On the dessert side, the rich and silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is one I reach for when I want something elegant without much effort. Another sweet favorite is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, inspired by the famous Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better texture in desserts comes in handy, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When something fresh and unfussy is what I'm after, I usually reach for the classic Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a perfectly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For heavier comfort food, I'm quick to suggest the satisfying Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the creamy Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the quick weeknight go-to One Pot Pasta Recipe.

Traditional dishes from around the world are another thing I love to share, among them the authentic Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crispy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the classic Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is a category I turn to often too, since it saves time without sacrificing texture. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my comforting Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

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