Gilt Head Sea Bream with Pumpkin and Tomatoes – Simple and Extravagant!

Gilt head with pumpkin and tomatoes
Gilt head Sea Bream with Pumpkin and tomatoes

This dish never fails! Now it`s time for pumpkin!

Baked pumpkin is always a treat, so are gilt head sea bream and baked tomatoes even more. Why not prepare everything together? I am now crazy about pumpkin. It unfolds a fantastic aroma in the oven. Back in the days, I didn`t feel up to preparing this large vegetable. A few times I tried to peel it, but somehow it was too hard for me. I had a hard time and let it be. Some time ago, small pumpkins fell into my hands and I just didn`t peel them and put the slices drizzled with olive oil in the oven and voila – they tasted fantastic. Since then, I don`t peel pumpkin any more. The gilt head sea bream is a fish with very firm flesh. Hence, it is magnificent for frying or grilling. The flesh won`t fall apart.Also, there is no problem with bones with this fish, as it contains only very thick and very few bones. It was Murphy` s law that my husband and I both swallowed a bone with this dish. We didn`t pay attention because we both thought it will never happen with this kind of fish. We survived and greedily kept on eating, as sea bream is an exquisite fish you can`t resist.

Have you warmed up to my fish recipes by now? Do you think you`re up to preparing the fish? If you are still a little hesitant, then start exactly with this dish. I promise nothing can go wrong and the taste is fantastic. You will impress your loved ones. As soon as the casserole is in the oven, you will have time for further preparations.

Don`t  miss out on this heavenly delight!

 

For 4 people you need:

  • 4 gilt head sea breams (800 – 1000g)
  • 80 g butter
  • 1 large pumpkin or 2 small ones
  • 20 small tomatoes on the vine
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • a few twigs of fresh marjoram
  • 300 ml white wine
  • olive oil
  • 2 lemons
  • salt, pepper
  • 2 tsp nigella seeds

Sprinkle the fish with lemon juice and olive oil. Preheat the oven to 200 °. Chop the pumpkin into small pieces, put them on the baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with olive oil and prebake for 15mins.

Chop the onion and the garlic. Put some oil in the casserole and add the onion and the garlic, the put the fish on top and slice its skin lengthwise with a sharp knife for a few times. This makes the fish cook more evenly and more quickly.  Put part of the marjoram twigs into the fish and arrange the rest in the casserole. Add the tomatoes, sprinkle with small dabs of butter and pour in the white wine. Season with some salt and pepper and sprinkle with the nigella seeds at last. Cook for about 20 minutes in the oven and keep pouring the sauce over it. As soon as the skin comes off the flesh easily with a fork, the fish is done.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

Yours truly,

Christina