Sea bream in crazy water (Orata all’acqua pazza)

Ingredients

·         4 tbsp good quality extra-virgin olive oil

·         2 whole sea bream or sea bass (about 450g each), gutted and cleaned

·         2 garlic clove, finely sliced

·         ½ small red chilli, chopped

·         400g small tomato  (a mix of different-coloured cherry tomatoes would be best)

·         4 tbsp white wine

·         small handful capers·        

chopped parsley

Method

1.    Heat half the oil in a large, lidded frying pan. Carefully slip the fish into the sizzling oil and cook for 4-5 mins until starting to brown. Flip over and scatter the garlic around the fish. Sizzle for 1 min more, then add the chilli and scatter over the tomatoes. Pour over the wine and let it bubble for 1 min, then pour over 100ml water and season generously with sea salt and pepper.

2.    Put on the lid, turn up the heat and simmer for 15 mins until the fish is cooked through – you can tell when the eyes turn bright white and the flesh feels softer.

3.    Lift each fish out the pan onto a serving plate and put the pan back on the heat. Add the capers and parsley, and boil hard for 1 min. You can now serve the fish and the sauce separately or slip them back into the pan, spoon some of the sauce over and bring the pan to the table. Drizzle with a little more oil just before serving.