Saffron-Poached Sea Bream with...Saffron-Poached Sea Bream with Artichoke Barigoule & Smoked Tomato Emulsion

A masterclass in Mediterranean elegance: tender sea bream bathed in liquid gold saffron oil, paired with barigoule-style artichokes and a light, smoky tomato essence.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Preheat oven to 200°C. Halve the tomatoes and roast until the skins are charred. Place in a chinois and press firmly to extract the clear, smoky tomato water into a small saucepan.

2. 02

   In a heavy-bottomed pan, sauté half the minced shallots and 1 garlic clove in a splash of olive oil. Add the trimmed artichokes, white wine, and 2 thyme sprigs. Cover and simmer until artichokes are tender (approx. 12 minutes).

3. 03

   In a small deep pan, heat the 300ml olive oil with saffron, lemon zest, remaining thyme, and peppercorns. Bring to exactly 53°C (use a probe thermometer).

4. 04

   Gently submerge the sea bream fillets into the saffron oil. Maintain the temperature at 53°C and poach for 12-15 minutes until the fish is just opaque and flakes easily.

5. 05

   Reduce the extracted tomato water by half over medium heat. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of the warm saffron poaching oil to create a split emulsion.

6. 06

   To plate, place two artichoke halves in the center of a warmed shallow bowl. Carefully lift the fish from the oil, drain briefly on parchment, and set atop the artichokes.

7. 07

   Spoon the smoked tomato emulsion around the fish. Finish with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and micro-basil.