Gilthead Bream en Papillote Sicilian Style

Preparing Gilthead Bream en Papillote Sicilian style is a great way to savor this fish while enhancing the Mediterranean flavors. Let’s look at the ingredients and the procedure together.

Ingredients

• 2 gilthead breams (about 400-500 g each), gutted and cleaned
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of salted capers
• 10-12 black olives (preferably Gaeta or Taggiasca olives)
• 1 organic lemon
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley
• Dried oregano to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• White wine (quantity as desired, usually one glass is recommended)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
2. Wash and slice the tomatoes into thin slices.
3. Desalt the capers by rinsing them under running water, then squeeze them.
4. Pit and coarsely chop the olives.
5. Wash the lemon and cut it into thin slices.
6. Chop the parsley.
7. Prepare two sheets of parchment paper or aluminum foil large enough to wrap the breams. Lightly grease with extra virgin olive oil.
8. Lay the breams on the sheets and inside each one, place some lemon slices, a bit of parsley, a clove of garlic, and a pinch of salt.
9. Sprinkle the breams with sliced tomatoes, capers, olives, a dusting of oregano, salt, pepper, and parsley.
10. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of white wine to each packet.
11. Close the packets well, making sure that steam cannot escape during cooking.
12. Place the packets in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the breams.
13. Once cooked, the bream will be soft, and the flavors will be well amalgamated thanks to the en papillote cooking.

Curiosity

Bream en Papillote is a classic of coastal cuisine and particularly in its Sicilian version, the ingredients reflect the use of typical products of this region, such as capers and olives. Cooking en papillote allows to keep intact the flavors and nutritional properties of the fish, turning the dish into a tasty and healthy experience. Moreover, the white wine used contributes to creating a fragrant atmosphere that enhances all the nuances of taste of the breams.