Branzino Blt Food

BAKED BRANZINO WITH CITRUS GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
• Arrange the fillets on the baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the fish and season with salt and black pepper. Bake until the fish is flaky and just fully cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange into a small bowl and add the parsley, good olive oil, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, juice of half the lemon and juice of half the orange. Stir gently to combine.
• Slice the remaining lemon and orange. Serve the fish topped with the gremolata and citrus slices.

BRANZINO WITH PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• For the puttanesca: To the bowl of a food processor, add the peppers, garlic, olives, capers, tomato paste, anchovy paste and salt. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. With the motor running, add 1 tablespoon water and the olive oil in a steady stream until emulsified and smooth. Pour the sauce into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• For the branzino: Dry the branzino fillets well with paper towels. Score the skin of each fillet three times with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with the salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay 4 fillets, skin-side down, in the pan; press gently to ensure full contact with the pan. Cook until the skin is golden brown and the flesh is opaque at the edges, 2 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 10 seconds; remove to a plate. Wipe out the pan and repeat with the remaining oil and fish.
• To serve, spread some sauce on each serving plate and shingle 2 fillets on top. Drizzle with a little more sauce if desired.

BRANZINO MEDITERRANEAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large baking pan; add onion and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the 2 cleaned fish into the baking pan and stuff each cavity with 1 lemon wedge, 1 rosemary sprig, and some of the red onion. Pour white wine and lemon juice over each fish and sprinkle with oregano. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the 2 fish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 25 minutes. Gently slide a spatula between the bones to separate fish; remove all the bones. Serve fish on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

BRANZINO A LABELLE

Steps:

• Season the branzino fillets with salt and a big pinch of pepper. Sprinkle with the turmeric.
• Heat the grapeseed oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the fillets to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and add the butter, parsley and garlic to the pan. Continue cooking, basting the fish as the butter melts, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the fillets to a platter. Garnish on the side with the tomatoes and lemon wedges.

GREEK-STYLE ROASTED BRANZINO RECIPE

Steps:

• Adjust a rack in the center of your oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the fish. With a sharp knife, make two slits on both sides of the fish. Rub the fish with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides, inserting the seasoning through the slits and in the fish cavity.
• Stuff the fish cavity with the sliced onion and lemon.
• Roast in the center rack of your heated oven for 5 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the fish is cooked and flakes easily. Turn the broiler on and place the fish about 6 inches from the heat source for 3 to 4 minutes or until the skin chars.
• While the fish is cooking, prepare the Greek ladolemono sauce.
• As soon as the fish is finished, remove it from the oven. Transfer the fish to a serving platter and drizzle immediately with as much of the ladolemono sauce as you like, making sure to add some of the sauce all over the cavity part as well. Toss the cherry tomatoes with a little salt and spoon them over the fish (you can drizzle a bit of the sauce again all the tomatoes). Finish with fresh dill. Serve immediately.

BRANZINO WITH POLENTA, WILD MUSHROOMS AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat a large saute pan with the canola oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Place the branzino in the pan skin-side down and cook until the skin is crispy, about 10 minutes. Flip the fish with a spatula and cook the other side for 1 minute. Set aside.
• Add the milk to a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the polenta and cook, stirring slowly, for 10 minutes, then add the mascarpone and 1 tablespoon butter. Cover and remove from the heat.
• Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon butter, then the shallots and garlic, and cook until translucent. Break mushrooms by hand and add to the pan, then cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for 10 more minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Place the polenta on the bottom of 2 plates, spoon the mushrooms over the polenta and place the branzino fillets on top. Garnish with the watercress, then drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze the lemon over the top.

GRILLED BRANZINO WITH BASIL, LIME AND GINGER

Steps:

• Make the marinade. Preheat a grill to medium high. Meanwhile, combine the lime zest, ginger, shallot, olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl.
• Stuff the fish. Thinly slice 1 lime. Stuff the slices into the cavity of each fish along with the basil leaves and ginger slices. Set aside half of the marinade for serving, then brush the rest on the fish. Season inside and out with kosher salt and pepper.
• Grill the fish. Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Transfer the fish to the grill and cook until the skin starts to crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not move the fish or the skin will stick to the grill. To flip the fish, place a spatula under the head end and use tongs to hold the cavity closed; gently roll the fish over. Cook the fish on the other side until the skin is crisp, 5 to 7 more minutes. Check the eyes: When they're both white, the fish is done. Transfer to a platter. Cut the remaining 4 limes in half; grill cut side down until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the platter.
• Fillet the fish. Using a fork and starting at the tail end, peel back the skin from one side of the fish; discard. Run a knife along the back of the fish to separate the top and bottom fillets. Use the knife to remove any additional skin along the back. Using a spoon, gently loosen and lift the top fillet away from the bottom fillet. Lift the head and use the spoon to carefully separate the spine from the bottom fillet. Discard the tail, head and stuffing. Remove and discard the skin from the bottom fillet. Repeat with the second fish.
• Serve. Drizzle the fillets with the reserved marinade; finish with some olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve with the grilled limes and more basil.