
The dorada had been pulled from the water that morning, its silver skin still taut, its eyes still clear, kissed only by the salt spray and the hands of the fisherman who knew the tides better than his own thoughts.
The fish lay now in the pan, shimmering under olive oil that glowed like liquid sunlight. No fuss, no ceremony—just a handful of cracked sea salt, slivers of garlic, sprigs of wild rosemary plucked from the cliffs, and a few paper-thin slices of lemon curling at the edges from the heat. Simplicity, but not restraint. Restraint was for those who had never stood at the edge of the Aegean, toes buried in warm sand, the taste of salt lingering on their lips.
The air smelled of fire and brine, of rosemary wilting in the heat, of something primal and unhurried. Wine sat in sweating glasses, pale and crisp, catching the last of the golden light. A breeze rolled in from the sea, slipping through the terrace, making the candle flames dance in agreement.
I broke the fish open with my fork—flesh so tender it barely resisted, white as a cloud against the dark char of the skin. The first bite was the Aegean itself: bright with lemon, rich with olive oil, kissed by the lingering perfume of the herbs that clung stubbornly to the cliffs. The kind of flavor that didn’t just exist on the tongue but settled somewhere deeper, somewhere where memories lived.
Across the table, someone laughed—low and warm, the kind of laugh that only happens in places like this, under skies like these.
The night stretched long. The wine disappeared. The waves whispered secrets against the shore.
Some meals are not just eaten.
Some meals stay.
How To Make A Mediterranean Baked Sea Bream or Dorada

My favorite way to cook this dorado sea bream is the Greek way. Or, at least the way I learned how to cook it from my guesthouse host in Agios Giorgios, Corfu. I first make a spice mix from dried herbs including Oregano, Onion Powder, Marjoram, Thyme, Salt, Pepper. If you buy a store-bought spice mix it may also have garlic powder, rosemary, and lemon zest in it, but as I’m using fresh rosemary, minced garlic, and lemons I didn’t add that to the spice mix.

To prepare the gilt head sea bream take the seasoning mix and sprinkle it liberally into the guts cavity. Then shove in a fresh sprig or two of rosemary, five cloves of garlic chopped in half, and two lemon wedges to somewhat seal it. Trust me on this, the flavors of this Mediterranean baked sea bream are so delicious.

This is an easy fish recipe because once you have the fish scaled and gutted (which you can sometimes buy already done at a fishmonger) the cooking is fairly straightforward. I lay the fish after stuffing and seasoning both sides of it on a parchment paper lined baking tray. Then I take a sharp knife and cut three slits diagonally across one side of the fish. I put in a half lemon slice into the slits, and then use two thin lemon slice halves to cover the tail. You don’t need to do this, but if you like eating the tail like a chip it prevents it from burning too much.

You can cut the fin off if you want, or you can do it after it is cooked. Then I simply pop it into an oven at 210 Celsius for 25 minutes. Easy as pie and it comes out perfectly every time. The bones are easy to remove as you cut into it, and the meat is juicy and delicious. You can also grill this like I do with my grilled trout if you prefer some outdoor cooking!

Eating a whole fish intimidates many people, but it’s quite simple. Use a fish knife (can use a butter knife in a pinch) to cut a line from the top of the head down to the tail along the spine. Then simply pry the meat from the bones.
Try These Other Tasty Fish Recipes
- Beer Battered Fish Tacos
- Ambul Thiyal – Sri Lankan Sour Fish Curry
- Dorado In Mussels Sauce
- Carpathian Baked Trout Under Sour Cream And Mushrooms
- Mediterranean Baked Sea Bream
- Authentic Hawaiian Poke

Mediterranean Baked Sea Bream
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the seasoning first since that can be stored. Just mix together all seasoning ingredients. If your herbs are not as fine as you'd like and you want to get a real fine grind then use a coffee grinder.
- Pat dry your scaled and gutted fish with a few paper towels. (For cleaning instructions see the body of this article).
- Preheat your oven to 220 Celsius.
- Lay your fish on a cutting board or workstation. Into the cavity of the fish sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the seasoning mix. Then stuff it with the two sprigs of rosemary, the 5 cloves of split garlic, and two wedges of the lemon.
- Rub each side of the fish with the olive oil. Take the other tablespoon of seasoning and season both sides of the fish. Move the fish over to a parchment paper lined baking tray.
- Take a sharp knife and cut three slits diagonally on one side of the fish. Into the slits put half slices of the lemon. Also put two half slices over the tail to prevent it from burning (the tail is edible)!
- Sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and put the tray into the oven.
- Bake the sea bream for 25 minutes. Adjust time if your fish is more or less in weight than mine (450 grams).
- Serve with some roasted potatoes and a wedge of lemon.
Notes
Mediterranean Baked Sea Bream

Cant find this fish where I live
I could not find sea bream in multiple stores, but was recommended to use sea bass instead. The dish is very delicious and that seasoning mix is going on SO MANY things in the future!
That Greek seasoning is one of my favorites for fish.
And dorada really takes me back to Santorini where I had my honeymoon with my dh who coincidentally has this as his favorite recipe
Absolutely delicious! 🐟🌿 This Mediterranean baked sea bream is a taste of paradise. The flavors and aroma are simply divine! 😋 #FoodieHeaven
Delicious
Great recipe for my favorite fish
My favorite dorado recipe making for years thanks
Pingback: 30+ Delicious Greek Baked Whole Fish Recipes for Healthy Mediterranean Meals – HomingHQ