Chargrilled Bazuk (Bronze Bream) with fennel salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 Bazuk
• Large handful of thyme
• 2 sturdy sprigs rosemary
• 2 pieces Spring garlic
• 1 lemon
• Large handful of mint
• Fennel tops from 1 fennel
• ½ fennel bulb
• 1/3 onion
• 40g raisins
• Chili. to taste
• Caper leaves or 40g capers
• Olive oil, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• ½ orange

Method

1. Ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the Bazuk. At home, with a knife, make a small incision in the stomach cavity to make it a little bigger. Season the inside with salt and olive oil and stuff them both with the thyme, spring garlic, half of the mint, fennel tops and a slice of lemon each.
2. Remove the leaves from half way down the rosemary sticks. Carefully, using a knife, sharpen the ends of the sticks tapering them to a point so that you end up with two rosemary skewers. Place the fish on a board side by side so that the belly of one is touching the spine of the other. Use the skewers to thread them through the belly of one, into the belly of the other coming out at the spine on the top fish. Repeat this process with the other closer to the head. You should end up with both fish threaded next to each other.
3. Put a grill pan onto a very high heat and allow to thoroughly heat up until smoking. Oil the skin of the fish and once hot enough put on the pan to cook. Flip over after 5 minutes. Based on the average size of a Bazuk the whole cooking time should take around 8 minutes but test the flesh on the second side to see if it pulls away from the bone to check for doneness. You can use this same technique on the BBQ.
4. Whilst the fish is cooking put together the salad by finely slicing the fennel and onion. Roughly chop the capers and raisins. Add everything to a bowl. Grate the zest of the halved orange into the bowl and squeeze in the juice. Squeeze in the juice of the remaining lemon. Finely chop the chili and add to your taste. Roughly chop the remaining large handful of mint and add to the bowl. Add a liberal amount of olive oil and season with salt to taste. Combine thoroughly.
5. When done remove the fish from the heat and serve on a rustic wooden board along with a heap of the refreshing salad.

This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, April 2019 

Watch the full edpisode below: