Gilthead seabream

Ingredients

• 800 g rough salt from the Piran Salt Pans
• 80 g meadow and garden herbs (sage, rosemary, wild anise, thyme, marjoram, juniper berries, dried red pepper)
• 1.2 kg gilthead seabream
• Potatoes
• Optional: seaweed or chard

Preparation

1. First, prepare the salt plate by mixing one third of the herbs and spices in 800 g of coarse sea salt. Add the remaining herbs to 300 ml of water to make a tea infusion and put it into a spray bottle.
2. Heat an inox plate or pan to at least 200°C and place the salt on it. Form 4 rectangles with the salt and spray them with the tea infusion. Wait until the rectangles become firm.
3. Next, clean the fish and lay it on its side on a flat surface.
4. Fillet the fish: turn the blade toward the tail and cut along the top of the ribs using the fish's backbone to guide you. Turn the fish over and repeat the procedure.
5. Place 2 pieces of gilthead seabream fillets on rectangles/salt plates and sprinkle with tea.
6. Steam will start to form. Continue the process for another 7 minutes. Through the process of evaporation, the aromas will infuse into the fillet.
7. Serve with your choice of seaweed or chard, and potatoes.

Gilthead seabream

• Seabream have a distinctive gold-coloured band on their forehead, giving them their common name 'gilthead'.
• The gilthead seabream has a unique reproductive strategy. Instead of releasing their eggs and sperm into the water column, they construct and guard nests made of sand and debris on the seabed until the eggs hatch.
• These fish start life as males and change sex at about three years old.
• In some areas, the seabream is associated with ancient legends and folklore. For example, they are believed to have healing properties and are sometimes considered a symbol of good luck.