Ben Tish profile picture credit: Kris Kirkham
Mediterra is a collection of my favourite recipes gathered over many years of travelling through the Mediterranean, from shore to shore and beyond to its islands – holidays, work or research, I’m there!
While the countries of the Mediterranean are varied and diverse, food and its culture are a common thread: the way of eating, sharing and revelling in the daily meal is an almost sacrosanct act; a passion and love for the produce and a focus on flavour, seasonality and simplicity.
This is a cuisine of the sun. A cuisine of fragrance and flavour: olive oil, fresh herbs, ripe seasonal tomatoes, juicy stone fruits and oozy figs, sizzling garlic, crushed spices aromatic from roasting, the perfumed zest of orange, lemon and bergamot, smoky grilled meats served with flatbreads to mop up the juices, and the freshest fish grilled over hot coals. This is the food that I love.
Sea bream crudo
Not just a summer dish, this beautiful, vibrant crudo will also brighten up the winter months when blood oranges are at their best. The bittersweet, ruby-red juices lightly cure the fish, and the cumin-infused dressing adds an earthy, aromatic punch. Always choose the freshest possible fish for crudo, so the just-caught sweetness and texture of the flesh stand out among the accompanying flavours. I like to serve a platter of this in the centre of the table to share, accompanied by really good bread to mop up the citrussy, oily juices.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 sea bream fillets, skinned, in 1cm slices
- 1 small blood orange (or a bitter orange, such as Seville), skin and pith removed
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1⁄2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar
- 2 tbsp sweet white wine vinegar, such as Chardonnay
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- a handful of mint leaves, to garnish
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Place the sea bream slices in a non-metallic bowl and season well.
2. Segment the blood orange with a sharp knife, working over the bowl that the fish is in – you want the juices to marinate the fish. Give the sea bream a stir, then leave for 10 minutes to cure.
3. Heat the olive oil and cumin seeds in a small saucepan over a low heat. When the seeds start to slowly fizzle, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the vinegar with the sugar and season with salt and pepper.
4. To serve, pile the crudo and blood orange onto a serving platter, drizzle over a little of the cumin vinaigrette and top with the mint leaves. Serve the remaining vinaigrette alongside in case anyone wants extra.
Ben Tish is the chef director of Cubitt House, overseeing the food offering across several pubs and eateries in London. He appears regularly on TV programs including BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, and writes for titles including The Guardian, The Times and Restaurant.
Mediterra by Ben Tish was published in July 2024 by Bloomsbury (£26).
The wines to drink with sea bream crudo
By Fiona Beckett
Tish gets the inspiration for this dish from the Mediterranean islands of Crete, Sicily and Sardinia, all three of which are endowed with wines that would pair well with it. Of the accompanying flavours, the blood orange is more important than the cumin seeds, calling for a lush rather than linear white. From Crete, I’d be inclined to go for a Vidiano, although an Assyrtiko from Santorini would work, too. Sicily has many full-flavoured whites, of which I think Grecanico would probably suit this recipe best, or head over to the mainland for a Fiano, Falanghina or Greco di Tufo. Sardinia and the Tuscan coast have Vermentino to offer, which would work – as would a young Soave from Veneto. In fact, it’s youth and vivacity you need for a raw dish like this. Outside Italy, you could be less conventional in your choices. Argentina’s Torrontés goes surprisingly well with raw seafood dishes. You could even try a limey Clare or Eden Valley Riesling from South Australia.
Wines selected by our Decanter experts