The following recipe is from Jose Castillo.


The following recipe from the gastronomic society Donosti Gain, which means "in San Sebastian" was collected by the well-known Guipuzcoan chef Jose Castillo.

SEA BREAM (for two)

 Recipe Requirements

1 beautiful sea bream 4 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons olive oil  
2 slices guindilla pepper (a dried red, slightly hot, local pepper)  
4 garlic cloves
 

 Notes and Hints

 Put the sea bream in a casserole. Roast it well in an oven.

 Saute the chopped onions, minced leek, and chopped garlic in olive oil for 15 minutes; add the heads and bones of the fish and cook slowly. Add the tomatoes, crushed, the wine, a quart of water, the bouquet garni, and pepper.

 Put the vinegar in a skillet and turn up the heal. When the vinegar is reduced to half add the juice from the fish that is left in the casserole and let it simmer a little.

 In another skillet put the olive oil and the garlic cloves cut in slices. Heat the skillet with the oil and garlic. When the garlic begins to turn golden^ add the guindilla and turn off the heat. Add the reduction of vinegar and fish juice. Bring to a boil for 1 minute. Uncover the sea bream and add the liquid.

 Interest Note

 This leaves the question: What is meant by a "beautiful sea bream"? The answer was suggested in a 1933 book about fish written by the pseudonymous Ymanol Beleak, a native of Bilbao who lived many years in San Sebastian and whose real name was Manuel Carves-Mons. Beleak, an entrepreneur who, among other projects, manufactured chocolate boxes and created his own label of sparkling wine, wrote, "A sea bream of quality has a small head and thick back. It does not need to be large to be good."

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