Equipment
Ingredients
Roasted Onions & Croutons
- 3 red onions, cut into wedges
- 150 g sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
- 30 ml olive oil
- 2 g sea salt
Nasturtium Pesto
- 50 g nasturtium leaves, washed and dried
- 30 g pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 30 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 garlic clove
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 10 ml lemon juice
Tomato Salad
- 600 g heritage tomatoes, mixed colors, sliced
- 15 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 3 g sea salt flakes
- cracked black pepper
Sea Bream
- 4 sea bream fillets, skin-on, pin-boned
- 20 ml vegetable oil
- 20 g unsalted butter
- ½ lemon
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 700 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Fat
- 47 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 1152 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 25 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 16 mg
- Potassium
- 960 mg
- Calcium
- 192 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 81 mg
- Phosphorus
- 485 mg
- Zinc
- 1.5 mg
- Vitamin A
- 93 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 42 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.0 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 21 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.06 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 21 mcg
- Water
- 102 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the red onion wedges with half the olive oil and salt on a baking sheet.
Roast the onions for 20 minutes. Add the torn sourdough chunks to the same tray, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and roast for another 10-12 minutes until onions are soft and croutons are golden crisp.
While onions roast, combine nasturtium leaves, toasted pine nuts, Parmesan, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse while streaming in the extra virgin olive oil until a vibrant green sauce forms. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste.
Slice the heritage tomatoes into irregular shapes. Place in a bowl, season generously with sea salt flakes and black pepper, and drizzle with 15ml olive oil. Let them stand at room temperature to release their juices.
Pat the sea bream fillets thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place fish skin-side down and press firmly with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling.
Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until the skin is crispy and the flesh is opaque 2/3 of the way up. Flip carefully, add the butter to the pan, and cook for 1 minute on the flesh side until cooked through (internal temp 60°C/140°F).
Arrange the roasted onions, tomatoes (with their juices), and croutons on plates. Drizzle with nasturtium pesto. Place the sea bream skin-side up on top. Garnish with fresh nasturtium flowers if available.
Chef's Notes
- Nasturtium has a distinct peppery flavor similar to watercress or radish. If unavailable, watercress or arugula (rocket) make excellent substitutes.
- Heritage tomatoes are key here for flavor complexity; if using standard tomatoes, add a pinch of sugar to the marinade to balance acidity.
- Do not crowd the fish in the pan. If your skillet is small, cook in two batches to ensure the skin fries rather than steams.
- Salting the tomatoes early draws out moisture which mixes with the oil to create a natural, delicious 'tomato water' dressing.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store components separately. Fish is best eaten immediately. Pesto keeps for 5 days.
Freezer: 1 month — Pesto can be frozen. Do not freeze the salad or cooked fish.
Reheating: Reheat fish gently in a low oven. Serve salad room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Fish skin is soggy or stuck to pan
Cause: Pan wasn't hot enough or fish wasn't dry enough before cooking
Fix: Remove carefully; if skin tears, remove it entirely and serve the flesh (flavor is still good)
Prevention: Ensure fish skin is bone-dry and oil is shimmering hot before adding fish
Pesto is brown/dull
Cause: Oxidation from heat during blending or sitting too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed visually, but taste remains fine
Prevention: Pulse in short bursts to avoid heating the blades; cover surface with oil if storing
Cultural Context
This dish epitomizes modern farm-to-table summer cooking, likely influenced by British or Northern European coastal cuisine where nasturtiums grow prolifically in gardens. It balances the Mediterranean technique of crispy-skin fish with the garden-fresh, peppery notes of heritage botanicals.
