Seabream. Fine dining under 400 calories!!

Tonight we are having fish, because we really enjoyed the Wild Seabream we had last time on the 18 February.  We've refined the dish since then and we are having it again tonight.  It is - I believe - called Wild Dorade in France and Goldbrasse in Germany.  The whole meal will set us back around 380 calories - unbelievable (and that's allowing for the butter).  This gives us scope for some flambé orange/liqueur crepes later ..... mmm.

This meal was simplicity itself, and very very satisfying.  We bought some lovely fillets from the fishmonger; each weighing around 100g.  The fish was so quick and easy to cook - just make sure it is not overcooked.  We first seasoned the fish skin with salt and lightly dusted with plain flour (tapping off the excess) before cooking it skin side down.  This gives it a nice and crispy skin.  Cook for roughly 2 - 3 minutes then turn it over.  Turn the frying pan heat off, and cook the other side for the same amount of time.  The whole process took about 6 minutes.  We each ate 150g of crushed new potatoes with butter and watercress.   A little butter and salt really does makes this delicious.  I only used around 10g butter for 300g of potatoes, and believe me, this is enough to make it buttery enough. There were a few broad beans on the side, and some chopped fresh tomatoes which had been warmed through.  I was quite impressed by the tomatoes as it added an acidity to the dish, which was quite nice.  I think a lot of Italian dishes use tomatoes and I can see why.  Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley, add a few pea shoots and finish with a generous drizzle of good quality olive oil around.  If anything, I have slightly overestimated on calories, just to be on the safe side.

I can't tell you just how delicious this was, and it disappeared very quickly.  Our guests said the fish tasted like sea bass.  We agree, it also has a similar texture too, but - it is so much cheaper at around £2 per fillet!  With our meal we enjoyed a great glass or two of Voigner.  A good wine is one you enjoy - so if you prefer something else - go for it.