How Long To Cook Whole Sea Bream

Simply cooked, this sweet, flavoursome sea bream makes a delicious family dinner. Herbs and sliced lemon add a note of zingy freshness.

Heads you win

Whenever my daughter Kipper and I buy fish, she always wants to get "the one with a head on!"

Disappointingly for her, I usuallydon'tget the one with a head on. Mostly because they're tricky to serve, requiring a reasonably competent dissection job to get them onto plates looking edible. However, this time I did get "the one with a head on" – in fact, I got two with heads on. These sparkling fresh sea bream looked too good to leave on the fish counter.

Whole sea bream with herbs and lemon.

Keep it simple

Sea bream is a really tasty, sweet-fleshed fish, so it doesn't need much messing about with. I simply stuffed the fish with plenty of fresh herbs and lemon, and left it at that. The herbs and lemon imparted their lovely flavours into the fish, without overwhelming it. Baking the lemons with the fish also makes them extra juicy. Make sure you serve a wedge with each portion for extra squeezing.

lemons and rosemary.

Make it your own

You can use this cooking method with lots of other varieties of whole fish as well as bream – for instance, sea bass, trout, mackerel, or even sardines. Simply choose your favourite herbs to go with the fish, and don't forget the lemon! Then just bake and serve.

Whole sea bream with herbs and lemon.

Whole sea bream – Cooking times

I always make the same mistake when I cook whole fish, which is to think they'll cook as quickly as fillets. Trust me, they won't! Sea bream and similar types of whole fish are quite thick, and need a good 25+ minutes to cook all the way through. It's easy to test if they're done though – if they're undercooked, the flesh won't come away from the bones easily, and they need a few minutes longer.

Our two whole sea bream served two adults and a small person adequately. I'd say serves 2-3 adults without any problem.

Simply cooked, this sweet, flavoursome sea bream makes a wonderful family dinner. Herbs & sliced lemon add a note of zingy freshness that's just delicious!

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Whole sea bream with herbs and lemon.

Baked sea bream with herbs and lemon

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Simply cooked, this sweet, flavoursome sea bream makes a delicious family dinner. Herbs and sliced lemon add a note of zingy freshness.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine European

Servings 2

Calories 438 kcal

4-6 tbsp olive oil
2 whole sea bream
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3-4 sprigs fresh sage
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme
6-8 sprigs fresh parsley
1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking tray with foil and brush with olive oil.
Thoroughly wash the fish inside and out and pat dry with paper towels. Cut off the fins and discard. Place the fish on the oiled foil.
Put a sprig of rosemary, a sprig of sage and 2 sprigs each of thyme and parsley, into the body cavity of each fish. Halve the lemon and cut one half into slices, then tuck 2-3 slices into each fish along with the herbs.
Arrange any remaining herbs and lemon around/over the fish. Drizzle the fish with a little more oil.
Brush another piece of foil with olive oil and place over the fish. Scrunch the edges of the top and bottom foil sheets together to seal and create a foil parcel around the fish.
Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25-30 minutes until the fish is cooked through and comes away from the bone easily. If necessary, cook for a few more minutes to ensure the fish is cooked through.
Discard the skin, bones, herbs and lemon, and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Baked sea bream with herbs and lemon

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword fish, herbs, lemon

Let us know how it was!

More delicious fish recipes

You might also enjoy this plaice grilled with an orange and herb butter, this savoury sea bass with spinach, sesame and soy sauce, this cod with a sun-dried tomato, lemon & herb crust, or this delicious sea bass with sauce vierge.

Whole sea bream with herbs and lemon.

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