Pan-fried sea bream fillets with peppers, carrots, courgette and cherry tomatoes

To maintain the characteristics of softness and succulence, fish fillets should be prepared just before cooking, preparing in advance is not recommended.

You can prepare the vegetables as a side dish a few hours in advance and then just warm them before serving.

Do not cook the fish fillets over a low heat, otherwise they will be as if boiled and not browned and crispy

Do not overcook the fillets, they should be soft and juicy.

Do not cook the vegetables all at once from the beginning, but put them in the pan according to their cooking times: first those that need to cook more, then those that need just a few minutes.

You can also use fish stored in the freezer. Before cooking it, defrost in the fridge and dry very well before seasoning.

To enjoy the softness of the fish, the fillets should be eaten freshly cooked. If some is left over, keep it in the fridge for a day, covered with cling film. Before serving again, reheat in the oven with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

If you would like to keep the fish for a few more days, even 3 or 4 days, we suggest preparing a quick “carpione”, soused fish recipe:

Cut 50 g of carrot, 50 g of celery and 300 g of onion into julienne strips.

Cook on a very low heat with a little extra virgin olive oil and a little salt until the vegetables are very soft.

Add 100 ml white vinegar and 100 ml white wine, a bay leaf and some peppercorns and let it simmer.

Pour the hot marinade over the leftover fish and keep it covered in the fridge. Perfect also as an appetiser.

You can replace the sea bream fillets with fillets of any other fish you like. If you fillet the fish yourself, remember how to make sure you buy fresh fish:

A lively, convex eye

Bright red gills without mucus

The skin is bright in colour, without discolouration

Scales attached to the skin Bones firmly attached to the flesh.

The meat is compact and elastic: if you press it with your finger, it should sink and then immediately regain its original shape.

The scent of fresh fish is brackish or fishy; when the scents turn to sour smells, the fish was caught a few days before.

Rigor mortis, i.e., there should still be a general rigidity.

The use of durum wheat flour instead of normal flour makes the fillets crispier during cooking.

Thyme is an aromatic herb that goes particularly well with fish fillets but can be replaced with something else to your taste, like rosemary or bay leaves.

In any case, the herbs should be cooked first with extra virgin olive oil, so the essential oils can release their aromas to the full.