Pan-Seared Sea Bream with Olive Tapenade and Fennel Salad

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-06-02 · Updated 2026-06-02

Fresh sea bream pan-seared to crisp skin perfection, topped with a salty olive tapenade and served alongside a refreshing fennel and orange salad. This Greek-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 25 minutes, pairs sea bream fillets, extra virgin olive oil, black olives (pitted) for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 4 fillets (about 6 oz each) sea bream fillets
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup black olives (pitted)
• 2 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley
• 1 clove, minced garlic clove
• 1 medium, thinly sliced fennel bulb
• 1 large, segmented navel orange
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

The food processor we’d make this in → Best Food Processors in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a food processor, pulse 1/2 cup pitted black olives, 2 tbsp capers, 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, and 1 minced garlic clove until coarsely chopped but not pureed. Set aside the tapenade.
2. Step 2: Toss 1 thinly sliced fennel bulb and 1 segmented navel orange with 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a bowl. Let sit to meld flavors.
3. Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season 4 sea bream fillets with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Place fillets skin-side down and cook for 4-5 minutes until skin is crisp and golden.
4. Step 4: Flip the fillets and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily.
5. Step 5: Plate each fillet, spoon 2 tbsp olive tapenade over the top, and serve alongside the fennel and orange salad drizzled with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil.