There’s nothing to this. The tomatoes burst as they cook, creating a sauce while you enjoy your aperitif. Bream with tarragon is magical, but sea bass with thyme and red snapper with rosemary are equally winning combinations. Serve with new potatoes. Serves 4
4 sea bream (about 450 g each) 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 8 leafy sprigs of tarragon I lemon cut into 12 thin slices and then halved 450g baby plum or cherry tomatoes Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 8 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan oven 180C/gas 6.
Grease one large or two smaller roasting tins with 1 or 2 tbsp of the oil. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Cut the tails off if they’re too long for the tins. Make three diagonal slashes across one side of each fish (snapper requires a very sharp knife) and lay them in the pan(s) cut side up.
Push some of the tarragon into each slash and the rest, with the lemon slices, inside the cavities. Scatter the tomatoes and garlic over and around the fish. Season generously and pour the olive oil over everything. Bake for 15-20 mins.
Original photograph by Rob White.