This dorade royale, or sea bream, kept reproaching me everytime I opened the freezer.
It’s darkened, glacial eye a testimony to it’s “past the due date” freshness and it’s probable dry, tasteless flesh. Still, it worried me that I had not cooked it and, not able to take it anymore, I wrenched the ******* from the freezer and tried to think of something to do with it.
My head a perfect vacuum, I went to the Rasa Malaysia site and found this. My recipe is not accurate but close enough. For instance, I added some strips of pretty yellow chillies that were beaming at me from the refrigerator and didn’t peel the ginger strips.
Worst of all, I sprinkled the fish with fleur de sel de Guerande, before cooking. Yes, yes I know, you salt connoisseurs and professional chefs are tut, tutting that fleur de sel is a finishing salt. Me for the guillotine. Still, it’s my kitchen 🙂
When we were shopping in the only store worth a shopping trip in Stuttgart, Fresh Paradise, I bought a fish pan whose price so offended my husband that he was definitely unfriendly for about 3 days 😀 I used it to deep fry the fish today and it is perfect!
I ate this plain. It was flavorful and the flesh was not dried out, but fresh is best. Still, you might want to make some steamed rice to go with. One less thing in the freezer, one less worry.
Soy Ginger Sea Bream
1 fresh sea bream, cleaned, scaled, etc. or let the fish monger do it
Fleur de sel de Guerande or sea salt
2 inches fresh ginger, cut into strips
1 tbsp peanut oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sake
4 tablespoons water
2 dashes white pepper powder
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
Peanut oil for deep frying
1-2 large scallions, cut into strips
1-2 yellow chillies, cut into strips
Slash the fish 4 or 5 times diagonally on both sides, then sprinkle with the salt. Set aside.
Fry the ginger strips in the peanut oil until brown, remove and set aside. Pour the soy sauce, sake, water, pepper, sesame oil and sugar into the same pan, bring to a boil, then keep warm.
Deep fry the fish, place in a serving dish, pour the soy sauce mixture over the fish, then garnish with the scallions, chillies and fried ginger.
Cooking in Sens 
Thank goodness for Chillies and ginger! A bit of heat and sunshine for these dreary, damp days. I have great memories of eating similarly seasoned-dishes, for breakfast, when in Malaysia. Sets you up for the day.
Does.
Hear hear!
Your freezer must be a perfect treasure trove. And.. oh dear .. so much for me to learn, the salts? Is there a list somewhere of the salts I should be studying? In case I commit a faux pas and use the wrong one.. c
I think too much is made of the salts. I like kosher, sea and fleur de sel and use them in any manner that occurs to me 🙂
ok, thank you.. the only one i don’t know is fleur de sal, i am just doing my amazon shopping list (they deliver all the stuff I cannot buy out here!) so i shall order some!.. c
Looks so good!
Thank you Khoa.
Nice blog. Salt is salt in my book.
Thank you and exactly!
Nice, delicious, simple and good looking. Great recipe, Rosemary.
Thank you Frugal.
Gorgeous pan, gorgeous meal – my fishmonger has sea bream so am feeling inspired!
Thank you. The pan is great Chica!
Three days worth of unfriendly! Still, the pan looks worth it 🙂
The pan is cast iron and and he’s an old silly 🙂
I award myself a figurative pat on the back everytime I use something from the freezer – I keep promising myself a 1 in 1 out policy but somehow life doesn’t work out like that…
Not for me either Claire. Understatement.
Frozen or not, the fish looks divine Rosemary! And so does that pan. Worth every centime!
Thank you Daisy. That’s what I thought.
Very nice indeed. It would fit well in my current Asian kick. Your husband will get over the price of the pan. You will have it for life. When it comes to pots and pans, it pays to pay.
Thank you Conor. When we come to Ireland, you can explain things to him over a beer 🙂
This looks amazing. Very beautiful pics. I would love this meal.
Thank you Amanda.
Yum! This is one of my favorite kinds of dishes. I usually cook whole fish in a wok… I’d be curious to see what a fish pan does.
Thank you Kate. Cooking a large fish in a wok is not my forte. Afraid I’ll turn over the pan, afraid the fish won’t get done correctly, etc. This pan is exactly what I needed.
Great flavours – I bet it was good regardless 😉
Thank you Dog. It was delicious!
That is delicious….I used to have some big wicker, chinese steamers; big enough for a fish like that. Such delicious flavours…that’s got me thinking:)
Thank you Roger. Steamed would have been just as delicious.
Amazing!
Thank you Serena.
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