How's this for a deliciously simple slice of island life? "It is easy to cook, indoors or out," says Sijmonsbergen of this delectable fish dish, "but there is something very special about grilling and eating it at the beach if you can."
Make Ibizan-style grilled sea bream
There's much more to Ibiza than nightclubs – look deeper, and you'll find a bountiful natural larder and strong food heritage. Here, author Anne Sijmonsbergen shares her recipe for Ibizan-style grilled sargo (sea bream)
Serves 4
Preparation time 10 mins
Cooking time 25 mins
Ingredients
- 4 whole wild sea bream, scaled, gutted and cleaned
- 80ml extra virgin olive oil
Fisherman’s potatoes
- 700g small new potatoes
- 3 tbsp coarse sea salt
Green herb sauce
- 75ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bird’s eye chillies, deseeded
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
- 2 handfuls coriander, leaves chopped
- Handful flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
Method
- Scrub the potatoes and put them in a heavy-based (preferably enamel) saucepan with 360ml cold water, add the salt and bring to the boil.
- Cook over a medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. The potatoes should be covered in a light dusting of white salt once the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside.
The green herb sauce
- Put all the ingredients in a measuring jug.Purée with a handheld blender until smooth, then taste. Season with salt and pepper and blend again. Set aside.
The fish
- Heat a griddle pan over a high heat.
- Rub the fish all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper inside and out.
- Place the fish in the hot pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side. If the fish sticks when you try to turn it, leave it for another minute until it comes away easily.
- Turn it over and grill it for 4–5 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately with the green sauce and potatoes.
Taken from Eivissa: The Ibiza Cookbook by Anne Sijmonsbergen (HarperCollins, £20). Photography by David Munns.
