Steamed Sea Bream Fillet With a Rich Chorizo Stuffing
Chorizo is the perfect accompaniment to seafood and this chorizo stuffing with added pine nuts and preserved citrus lifts this dish to the next level!
This dish might sound complex, but it is quite straightforward to make and well worth the effort as the finished result is simply restaurant quality!

Why sea bream?
Sea bream are a group of compact, medium-sized fish. Most sea bream distributed in Europe are farmed in the eastern Mediterranean. The dense, juicy white flesh is usually sold whole or in fillets. The meaty texture, a clean taste and a delicate flavour make this fish a great choice for any preparation. Grilled on a barbecue, baked in salt, whole with Asian herbs and spices, sea bream is versatile. If sea bream is unavailable, substitute with sea bass or red snapper, as it is often called in the US.
Did you know that these fish start life as males and change sex at about three years of age?

Steamed Sea Bream Fillet with Chorizo Stuffing
EQUIPMENT (click pictures for details)
Ingredients
- 600 gr whole sea bream 2x 100 gr fillet + 65 gr off cut
For the stuffing mix
- 65 gr seabream offcuts
- 65 gr cream cheese
- 30 gr chopped onions
- 25 gr diced mild chorizo
- 1 pc chopped garlic clove
- 1 tsp diced long red chilli
- ¼ pc preserved lemon diced
- 1 pc preserved kumquat diced
- 1 tbsp toasted pine nuts
- 3 pcs black olives diced
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- Mild paprika or piment d’Espelette
For the white wine sauce
- 5 + 30 gr unsalted butter
- 1 pc chopped shallot 20 gr
- 80 ml dry white wine
- 250 ml fish stock (see recipe)
- 80 ml cream
Instructions
- Clean and fillet the fish and use 65 gr of the offcuts for the stuffing mix.
Prepare the stuffing mix
- Toast the pine nuts over a medium to low heat until golden brown and fragrant. Keep aside.
- Sauté the onion and diced chorizo in olive oil. Add the garlic, preserved lemon, kumquats, and red chilli and cook for 2 more minutes.Finish the preparation with the black olives, pine nuts, parsley, and mix to combine well. Allow to cool.
- Finely chop the fish offcuts with a knife and combine them with the cream cheese and the cold chorizo mixture. Season to taste with salt, pepper and mild paprika.
Stuff the fish
- Lay a piece of cling film onto a flat surface, brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.Place one fish fillet (skin side down) on the cling film and arrange the stuffing mix on top.
- Wrap and roll tightly and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Prepare the white wine sauce
- Sweat the shallots with a small knob of butter until transparent.
- Add the white wine, bring to the boil, and then add the fish fumet, bring to the boil again and reduce by half.
- Add the cream and cook for a few minutes until the white wine sauce is light and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Finish the sauce with diced cold butter (monter au beurre) and season to taste.
- Place the fish fillet in the oven or into a steamer basket and cook for 8-9 minutes.
- Remove the fish from the cling film and serve with the white wine sauce and a garnish of your choice.