The first question: What exactly is this fish? Dorade, sometimes written daurade in French, has many appelations in English, among them porgy and bream. From a cook’s point of view, it doesn’t much matter – as this recipe works well with any medium-sized white-flesh saltwater fish. Red snapper, pampano or sea bass would make great substitutes, for example. The fish is lightly coated with olive oil, stuffed with fresh basil and baked in a very hot oven to obtain a tandoori effect — crispy on the outside and tender within.
Dorade au four au pistou / Baked porgy with French basil sauce
Getting back to the appelation, there are several versions of the fish the French call dorade, one of the most prized being the dorade royale (at right). And as it turns out, this is the only dorade that may also be written daurade — a nuance that had escaped my notice during all my years in France. A fish fit for a king or queen, it is called gilt-head bream by the English. Its relatives include yellowfin and scup. My best culinary experience of dorade took place in Senegal, along an area the West African coast where the fish are plentiful. There, they serve it braisé — which surprisingly does not mean braised but rather grilled over charcoal — accompanied by an unbelievably fiery and delicious hot pepper sauce. Although I’ve searched for this sauce in Paris for years, I’ve never been able to find it. Never mind. Dorade au pistou, while quite different, is almost as good.
At last it’s barbecue season. The time of year when sunsplashed afternoons segue seamlessly into rosé-splashed evenings, when lighting the coals becomes a ritual that harks back to a previous era when families gathered around a fire to prepare their evening meal. Thankfully we no longer have to hunt for food, at least not in the same way. A quick trip to the supermarket or butcher to buy some meat, a foray into the garden to gather some herbs, and voilà. A simple and succulent dinner is on the way.
