Baked Dorado with Vegetable Side Dish

Name: Baked Dorado with Vegetable Side Dish – Grilled Sea Bream
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: Sea bream (dorado) 2 (150-200 g each); Coriander, black pepper, dried Mediterranean herbs 0.5 tsp each; Salt 0.5 tsp (3 g); Lemon 1; Eggplant 1; Zucchini 1; Tomato 1; Bell pepper 2; Hot red pepper 1; Cucumber 1; Fresh herbs a little; Salt a little; Coarse rock salt for the eggplant, if needed; Vegetable oil 3-4 tbsp

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Tasty baked fish with vegetables can be made from any small sea or river fish with firm flesh and few bones. Among sea fish, red mullet, gilt-head bream (dorado, dorada), picarel and horse mackerel are ideal. I think larger fish, such as sea bass, will turn out great too.

People often argue about which is right: dorada or dorado. In biology this fish is called the gilt-head bream, or simply the sea bream. The Spanish word dorado means “golden” and is pronounced “dorado”, not “dorada”. The gold is the narrow stripe between the eyes, which gave the fish its second name. Which one you say doesn’t really matter, it’s a matter of habit. You will also come across the names aurata (Aurum means gold) and tsepura in Bulgaria.

Since ancient times, sea fish caught in coastal waters have been a frequent guest on people’s tables. The variety of ways to cook it turns an ordinary fish into a culinary masterpiece. One of the simplest ways to cook fish is to bake whole fish and serve it with plain vegetables, either fried or baked.

People have always fished in coastal regions, and dorado has always been plentiful at fish markets. Even now, at small markets near the port in Bulgaria, the first fish that catches your eye is tsepura (dorado). Its low price and constant freshness explain its popularity.

Baked fish with vegetables is cooked on the grill together with the side dish. The ideal side dish for grilled dorado is fried or baked vegetables. In principle, you can use frozen vegetables if they are out of season. But nothing compares to fried eggplant, zucchini and peppers, with tomatoes and delicate fresh herbs. For more about the fish itself, see the recipe for baked dorado in the oven, and to keep it especially juicy, bake dorado in foil.

Ingredients

2 servings

Sea bream (dorado) 2 (150-200 g each)
Coriander, black pepper, dried Mediterranean herbs 0.5 tsp each
Salt 0.5 tsp (3 g)
Lemon 1

Eggplant 1
Zucchini 1
Tomato 1
Bell pepper 2
Hot red pepper 1
Cucumber 1
Fresh herbs a little
Salt a little
Coarse rock salt for the eggplant, if needed

Vegetable oil 3-4 tbsp

Step-by-step recipe

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How to prepare the fish

Baked fish with vegetables turns out best with a small fish about 15 cm long and weighing 150-200 g. In my opinion, this fish is the tastiest and bakes best.

Scale the fish. The scales are small, but they come off very easily. Discard the guts and gills. You can cut off and discard the head too, but you can also leave it on. Pat the prepared fish dry with paper towels. Make 3-4 diagonal cuts along the back, taking care that the fish doesn’t fall apart. The cuts should be 2-3 mm deep, no more.

Marinate the fish. In a mortar, mix 0.5 tsp each of the spices: coriander, black pepper and dried aromatic herbs typical of Mediterranean cuisine. Grind the spices and add 0.5 tsp of salt (3 g). Rub the cleaned fish with the spices, especially thoroughly inside. Fish patted dry with paper towels won’t “take” excess spices. You can save the remaining spices for next time. Put the fish in a ceramic or plastic dish. Pour over the juice of half a lemon and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 mins.

How to make the vegetable side dish

The vegetables can be baked, but frying is better, as it is quicker and easier. For the side dish, the sweet pepper can be roasted in the oven, which makes it tastiest.

While the fish marinates, prepare the vegetables for the side dish.
Without peeling them, slice the eggplant and zucchini into rounds 5-6 mm thick. If necessary, sprinkle the eggplant with coarse rock salt and leave for 10 mins. The eggplant will release juice and the bitterness will go away. But modern varieties of eggplant are usually not bitter. See for yourself.
Fry the vegetables in a pan in vegetable oil over medium heat until fully cooked and nicely browned.

Assemble the side dish. Cut the sweet pepper into strips. Slice the fresh cucumber and tomato. Arrange the fried vegetables and the sliced raw vegetables around the edge of a large plate and salt lightly. Cut the hot pepper into rings and add to the side dish. Add a little fresh herbs: baked fish with vegetables is a colorful dish that pleases the eye.

How to grill the fish

Take the fish out of the refrigerator and brush it with vegetable oil. Heat up the grill: an electric grill, a grill pan or a barbecue with hot coals. Put the prepared fish on the grill.
Grill the fish for 5 mins on each side, until it has a golden crust and is fully cooked. Small fish cook quickly, 10-12 mins is enough. If needed, you can increase the time a little, but turn the fish more often for better, more even cooking.

Serving

Put the baked fish on top of the side dish and serve. Be sure to add a wedge of lemon: fish and lemon go very well together, so don’t skip it.
Well-cooked fish baked with vegetables is a worthy and refined dish. I recommend pouring yourself a glass of good white wine and enjoying the taste.

Calories and macros

420 kcal

Serving ≈ 470 g

Protein22 g22% of kcal
Fat27 g61% of kcal
Carbs18 g18% of kcal

100 g90 kcalProtein 4.7 gFat 5.8 gCarbs 3.8 g

Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.

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Baked Dorado with Vegetable Side Dish

Ingredients

For the fish

For the side dish

For frying