Baked Sea Bream with Chili and Herbs (Dag Moshlash)

About This Recipe

Fish preparations along Israel's Mediterranean coast draw on a mix of influences from North African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Jewish culinary traditions, and this baked sea bream leans into that blend with a chili-and-herb-forward approach rather than the simpler lemon-and-herb style more common in some European fish cookery. Whole sea bream is scored and stuffed with a chili, garlic and herb paste before roasting, letting the heat and aromatics penetrate the flesh directly. The technique that matters most is scoring the fish deeply enough that the chili-garlic paste reaches the flesh, not just the skin, since a fish seasoned only on the surface tastes noticeably blander once cooked. A hot oven and careful timing keep the delicate flesh from drying out — checking a few minutes early is worthwhile since overcooked fish loses much of its appeal regardless of how well it's seasoned. Served with a simple herb salad and warm pita, this dish reflects the diverse, spice-forward approach to seafood found in many Israeli households, particularly those with roots in North African Jewish communities where chili and warm spices are woven throughout everyday cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2whole sea bream(about 500g each, cleaned)
• 2fresh red chilies(chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 0.33 cupfresh cilantro(chopped)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tsppaprika
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt
• 0.33 cupolive oil
• 1lemon(sliced, plus extra for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the chili-herb paste

   Combine chilies, garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin, paprika, salt and olive oil into a rough paste.

2. 2

   Score and stuff the fish

   Score the fish 3-4 times on each side, cutting through to the bone. Rub the chili-herb paste generously over and into the slashes.

   Scoring the fish deeply lets the paste reach the flesh directly rather than just seasoning the skin.

3. 3

   Add lemon

   Place lemon slices inside the cavity of each fish.

4. 4

   Bake

   Place on a lined tray and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes until the flesh flakes easily near the thickest part.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve whole with extra lemon wedges and warm pita.

Variations

• •

  Use branzino or snapper if sea bream isn't available.

• •

  Add a can of drained chickpeas to the tray for a more substantial one-pan meal.

• •

  Serve with a side of tahini sauce for drizzling.

Storage

Best eaten fresh. Refrigerate leftovers up to 1 day and eat cold, since reheating tends to dry out the delicate fish.

Frequently Asked Questions