Dishes from Sardinia in Italy are always a surprise. A couple of very humble and simple ingredients on the list and an explosion of flavours when tasted. I often found in restaurants this dish baked in oven, but i personally never saw this baked back in Sardinia. The fish was always easily cooked on a pan. And frankly speaking this is also a much quicker option.
If you can’t find Vernaccia wine, go for any white wine (of course excluding sparkling, sweets and too aromatic ones).
4 seabreams 400 gr each (gutted and cleaned)
3 garlic cloves
400 ml vernaccia (or other white wine)
juice of half lemon
350 grams of pitted olives (possibly small ones)
2 tbs salted capers
4 bay leaves
4 tbs olive oil
Put one bayleaf into each seabreams. Season with salt the seabreams (inside and outside).
Heat the olive oil in a large pan (or two separate pans – in this case divide ingredients).
Fry the garlic for 3 minutes.
Add the seabreams and fry them on high heat for 1 minute per side.
Add the olives, the capers (washed under running water to discard the salt), the lemon juice and the wine. Bring to a boil and let simmer 8 minutes. Turn the fishes upside down and cook for further 8 minutes.
Do not let the juices to evaporate, you will need them for service.
Retain the fishes and fillet them, put them into the plates and serve with the sauce, olives and capers.