A Light, Fragrant Way to Cook Whole Fish
Cooking a whole fish at home looks more complicated than it is. When I spotted two beautiful whole sea bream at the fish counter, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. The technique is simple, and the result tastes far more considered than the time it takes to make.
Quick answer: Stuff a whole sea bream with torn kaffir lime leaves and a pinch of salt, then steam it for 15–20 minutes. While it steams, fry Thai yellow curry paste in coconut oil and simmer it with full-fat coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and red pepper. Spoon the sauce onto a plate, lay the fish on top, and serve with steamed courgettes and jasmine rice.
At a glance
Serves: 2 (one fish each)
Steaming time: 15–20 minutes
Heat: medium
Swap the fish: sea bass (branzino) or sole, with the same timings
Why Yellow Curry Works with Sea Bream
Red or green curry can overwhelm delicate fish with heat and intensity, but yellow curry works with it. The coconut milk base is creamy without being heavy, turmeric and lemongrass add warmth and fragrance, and the sauce supports the natural sweetness of the bream rather than masking it.
The trick is cooking the fish and sauce separately and bringing them together on the plate at the last moment. The bream stays flaky and moist, and the sauce keeps its depth.
Steaming is the ideal method. It’s gentle, keeps the flesh sweet and needs no added fat. The kaffir lime leaves tucked inside perfume the fish from the inside out, so you won’t need lemon at the table. Baby courgettes and red pepper add gentle bite, natural sweetness and colour: golden sauce, red pepper and green courgettes make this a dish worth bringing straight to the table.
Key Ingredients
Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste: made with lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, chilli and kaffir lime rind, stone-ground the traditional way. Fry it in coconut oil before adding the coconut milk, because this wakes up the aromatics and builds the base of the sauce.
Full-fat coconut milk: gives the sauce its creamy, slightly sweet body. Reduced-fat versions won’t give the same result.
Kaffir lime leaves: used twice, inside the fish while it steams and shredded as a garnish.
Fish sauce: adds savoury depth that salt alone can’t.
Palm sugar: balances the salt and spice with a gentle caramel sweetness. Light brown sugar works if you can’t find it.
Whole sea bream: mild, slightly sweet and firm, with white flesh that holds up beautifully to steaming.
How to Make It
The full recipe is in the recipe card below. Here’s how it comes together:
Prepare the fish. Rinse and pat it dry, and score both sides two or three times down to the bone. Tuck torn kaffir lime leaves and a pinch of salt into the cavity, then lay it on a plate lined with greaseproof paper.
Steam. Put the fish on first, over boiling water, for 15–20 minutes.
Make the sauce. Fry the curry paste in coconut oil until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and sliced red pepper, then simmer until the pepper softens and the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the courgettes. Put them in the steamer 10–12 minutes into the fish’s cooking time, so everything finishes together.
Serve. Spoon the sauce across a large plate, lay the fish on top, arrange the courgettes alongside and garnish with shredded kaffir lime leaves. Serve with jasmine rice.
Tips for Perfect Steamed Sea Bream
Buy the freshest fish you can. Look for clear, bright eyes and a clean sea smell. Ask your fishmonger to scale and gut it.
Score the flesh. Two or three diagonal cuts on each side help the fish cook evenly and let the kaffir lime fragrance in.
Line the plate. Greaseproof paper stops the delicate skin sticking and tearing when you lift the fish.
Watch the timing. Check the fish at 15 minutes by pressing the thickest part near the backbone. It’s ready when the flesh is opaque and pulls cleanly away from the bone.
Taste the sauce. Add a splash more fish sauce if it needs depth. The full 300 ml of coconut milk keeps it rich, so there’s no need for water.
Sea Bream: A Fish Worth Knowing
Sea bream is prized around the world: it’s daurade in France, orata in Italy and tai in Japan, where it’s a celebratory fish. Cooking it on the bone gives a noticeably better result than fillets, because the bones and skin keep the flesh moist and add flavour. A whole fish at the centre of the table is also a lovely way to share a meal, Thai-style.
About Thai Yellow Curry
Thai yellow curry gets its golden colour from turmeric and its fragrance from lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime. Our version is made with coconut milk, which gives a creamy, gentle sauce that suits delicate fish perfectly.
More Thai Fish and Yellow Curry Recipes
FAQs
How long do you steam a whole sea bream?
15–20 minutes over steady, boiling water for a medium-sized fish. It’s ready when the flesh near the backbone is opaque and pulls away from the bone.
What fish can I use instead of sea bream?
Sea bass (branzino) or sole work just as well, with the same timings.
Can I use sea bream fillets instead of a whole fish?
Yes. Fillets cook much faster, so start checking after about 6–8 minutes of steaming.
Is Thai yellow curry spicy?
Our yellow curry paste has medium heat: warmer than Massaman, but gentle enough to let the fish shine. Use a little less paste for a milder sauce.
From Jum’s Kitchen
In Southern Thailand, a whole fish at the table is a moment to pause for. It means someone has taken time to choose it carefully, cook it with respect and bring it to the table as it was meant to be seen. Serving a whole fish speaks of care, of knowing that the best flavour lives in the bones and skin, and that gentle heat keeps the flesh moist. When you cook sea bream this way, steamed and whole, you honour both the fish and everyone sitting down to eat it.
Thai yellow curry is the gentle one of the family. The turmeric warms, the lemongrass whispers and the coconut milk brings it all together. It’s a curry that makes space for other flavours rather than drowning them out, and when it meets sea bream, the sauce doesn’t compete; it completes.
This is something to make on an evening when you want to cook well but not frantically, with people at your table who deserve something considered. The preparation is straightforward, the cooking is gentle, and the result tastes far more labour-intensive than it was. That’s the kind of cooking we believe in: feeding people as an act of love, not a performance.
Sea Bream Thai Yellow Curry
- 2 whole sea bream, cleaned and scaled
- 1.5 tbsp Mae Jum Thai Yellow Curry Paste
- 300 ml full-fat coconut milk
- 200 g baby courgettes
- 60 g red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar
- 6 kaffir lime leaves (4 for inside the fish, 2 for garnish)
- — A pinch of salt
Thai Yellow Curry Paste
