How to Cook Bream in a Pan

Which bream do you have?

“Bream” means different fish in different places, and the method depends on which you have:

• Sea bream (including gilthead and black bream) is a white-fleshed saltwater fish usually sold as fillets or whole. It suits quick pan-frying, especially skin-on.
• Freshwater bream, in the southern US often meaning small bluegill and other sunfish, is typically fried whole or as small fillets in cornmeal.

Both are lean, so they cook fast. The tips below cover each version.

Ingredients

For sea bream fillets (per fillet):

• 1 skin-on sea bream fillet
• Salt and pepper
• A teaspoon or two of plain flour
• About 2 teaspoons neutral oil
• A small knob of butter
• Lemon juice, capers and parsley (optional)

For small whole fish:

• Scaled, gutted bream
• Yellow cornmeal seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika
• Enough neutral oil for about 1/2 to 1 inch in a skillet

Pan-frying sea bream fillets

1. Dry the fish. Pat very dry with paper towels. For extra-crisp skin, some cooks salt the fish and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator for a short time first.
2. Season and flour. Season both sides, dust lightly with flour and tap off the excess.
3. Heat the oil. Use a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is hot but not smoking heavily.
4. Skin-side down. Lay the fillet in, away from you, and press gently with a spatula for 20-30 seconds so the skin stays flat.
5. Cook mostly on the skin side. Reduce the heat slightly and leave it. Depending on thickness, roughly 3-5 minutes brings the fillet most of the way through, with the flesh turning opaque up the sides.
6. Finish. Flip briefly for about 30-60 seconds, or add butter, lemon and capers to the pan and spoon it over. Serve skin-side up.

If you like the idea of this skin-crisping approach for other fish, see our guide to pan-seared black drum.

Frying small whole bream with cornmeal

1. Scale, gut and rinse the fish, then lightly score the sides.
2. Season the cornmeal well. Press it onto the fish.
3. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet to roughly 350F (175C) if you have a thermometer. Oil that is too cool makes the coating greasy; oil that is too hot burns the coating before the fish cooks.
4. Lower the fish in without crowding. Fry about 2-3 minutes per side, depending on size, until golden.
5. Drain on a rack or paper towels. Serve with lemon and hot sauce.

Whole fish contains small bones, so take care when eating.

Butter or oil?

Oil tolerates higher heat, so it is the safer choice for the initial fry. Butter adds flavour but burns more easily. A common compromise is to cook in oil and finish with butter, as in the fillet method above. This is the same reasoning we use when we explain how to fry haddock in a pan.

Flour or egg first?

For fillets, a thin flour dusting is enough: no egg needed. For breaded fish, the usual order is flour, then egg, then crumbs. For cornmeal-fried whole fish, many cooks just dredge the damp fish directly in seasoned cornmeal.

How to tell it is done

Bream is done when the flesh turns opaque and flakes easily. A commonly cited safe internal temperature for fish is 145F (63C). Check near the bone on whole fish, which is the slowest spot to cook.

Serving ideas

Lemon wedges, boiled potatoes, a simple salad or sauteed greens (such as lamb’s quarters) suit fillets. Whole fried bream goes well with coleslaw, hushpuppies or fries.