Roasted Branzino With Lemon And Thyme Food

ROASTED BRANZINO WITH LEMONS

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• Lay a piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet. Spray the foil with vegetable oil cooking spray. Lay the fish fillets, skin side down on the foil in a single layer and season with salt and pepper, to taste. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest, fennel fronds and thyme. Spoon the mixture over the fish. Arrange the lemon and fennel slices on top of the fish and sprinkle with the cooked pancetta. Pour the wine on top. Lay another piece of foil on top and crimp the edges of both pieces to form a packet. Roast until the flesh is flaky and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the top piece of foil. Put the cooked lemon slices and fennel on a platter. Carefully transfer the fish to the platter on top of the fennel and lemon slices. Garnish with parsley and serve.

ROASTED BRANZINO WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat fish dry; rub cavity and skin with oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with lemon slices and a few sprigs of thyme. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, standing fish upright (cavity-side down); anchor in place with 3 lemon wedges along each side. Scatter remaining thyme sprigs around fish.
• Roast until fish is just cooked through, 17 to 22 minutes, depending on size. Fillet fish and serve with roasted lemon wedges or one of the fish sauces.

ROASTED WHOLE BRANZINO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
• Cut slits into the branzino skin 1 inch apart, being careful not to cut through the spine. Stuff each slit with the garlic then drizzle the fish with oil. Season heavily with salt and pepper. Stuff the fish cavity with the lemon slices and the thyme sprigs. Transfer the fish to the wire rack and roast in the oven until the flesh is flaky and cooked through, about 14 minutes.
• Remove and discard the thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

BROILED SALMON WITH MUSTARD AND LEMON

Steps:

• Position one oven rack 6 inches from the broiler heat source then heat the broiler. Season the salmon fillets all over with ½ teaspoon salt and a couple of grinds of pepper and place them on an aluminum foil-lined sheet pan, skin side down.
• In a small bowl, whisk the oil and mustard until well mixed. Brush the tops and sides of the salmon with this mustard mixture.
• Broil until the salmon is opaque with a deep brown crust, about 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. (The center of the fillets will be dark pink, if you pierce one with a paring knife and take a look.) If your fillets are thinner, reduce cooking time by 1 to 2 minutes. If you prefer more well-done fish, add 1 or 2 minutes to the cooking time.
• Squeeze a lemon wedge all over the cooked salmon fillets, then serve salmon with more lemon wedges on the side.