Stuffed Seabream with caviar and Prosecco DOC sauce

This is a cheffy dish that takes inspiration from old French classics. A recipe committed to satisfying the most luxurious and gluttonous palate, and definitely not for everyday use.

A delicate stuffed seabream with prawns and seabream mousse, served in an umami rich sauce of cream, Prosecco DOC and caviar. This is one to save for a special occasion.

Expensive ingredients aside, I am still inviting you to try this sauce, even without caviar and served with any kind of fish or seafood you want to try it out with. The acidity of the Prosecco DOC cuts through the fattiness of the cream and it has a deep fish flavour given by the reduced fish stock.

Chef’s tips: just a touch of this sauce can help you enrich many dishes, even a simple mussel stew served with crusty bread. And remember to serve it with a glass of the same Prosecco DOC used in the making.

Serves: 4 // Prep time: 2h

Ingredients:

• 8 seabream fillets, pinned bone and skin removed

• (fish bones and trimmings for the stock unless you have premade stock)

• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the stuffing:

• About 150/200 gr of seabream trimmings

• About 150/200 gr of sweet prawns meat

• About 100 ml of double cream

• Zest of half a lemon

• Salt to taste

For the sauce:

• 3 shallots

• 1 bay leaf or 3 sage leaf

• 20 gr of unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

• 200 ml of Prosecco DOC

• 250 ml of fish stock

• 100 ml of double cream

• 15 gr of caviar (osetra or your favourite)

• Salt to taste

Method:

If you have purchased a whole seabream please follow the video for guidance on how to remove the fillets, pin bone them with tweezers and remove the skin with a pairing knife. You can use the bones (previously rinsed) along with veg and herbs trimmings to make a seafood/fish stock. Make sure you add just enough water to cover the fish and don’t simmer it longer than 20 minutes. Remove any foam/impurity that arises on the top and filter it through a fine sieve.

I don’t blame you if you go for pre-filleted fish and already made stock. 

Now, pair the clean fish fillets in couples as if it was a sandwich and with a sharp knife cut around the edges to create perfectly squared ‘sandwiches’ (precision is key). Now chop all the trimmings and blitz them in a processor along with the cream, the prawns, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until you have a paste. Pass the paste through a sieve to smoothen it out and add a little lemon zest. The stuffing is now done.

To make the sauce chop the shallots and sweat them with oil, butter and bay leave in a pot. Season with salt and cook while mixing on medium heat until soft. Now deglaze with all the Prosecco DOC and let it reduce while it simmers until it is almost all gone. At this stage add the fish stock and repeat the operation, let it reduce on the stove. When the fish stock is reduced add the cream, bring it to a boil, adjust the seasoning and pass through a sieve. Keep the sauce on the side.

To stuff the sea bream sandwiches place a spoonful of stuffing on one side as shown in the video and press the other side on it to allow the filling to spread. Make sure it’s spread evenly and that the edges align with each other. Use a palette knife to smooth out the filling excess and place the stuffed seabreams onto a baking tray with parchment. Season with a little salt and pepper and a drizzle of oil before baking at 160 degrees Celsius for about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size. You don’t want to brown the fish too much in the oven but it needs to be well firm to the touch when cooked. You can use a thermometer to check it has reached at least 54 degrees at the core.

Now you can plate the stuffed seabream straight away along with any vegs or garnishes you like, add the caviar to the heated sauce and pour it over the fish just before serving along with a cold glass of Prosecco DOC.