Roasted Whole Branzino Food

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.

WHOLE ROASTED BRANZINO WITH COUSCOUS SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Rub a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and set aside. Cook the couscous as the label directs.
• Meanwhile, season the cavity of the fish with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemon slices and parsley sprigs into the cavities, reserving about 8 lemon slices for serving. Arrange the fish on the baking sheet in an even layer and roast until the flesh flakes easily with a fork, 16 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes.
• Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the couscous, chopped parsley, red onion, pomegranate seeds and pecans; toss well to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer each whole fish to a plate, or remove the fillets and transfer to plates (see page 55). Serve with the couscous salad and reserved lemon slices.

GRILLED WHOLE BRANZINO

Steps:

• For the Salmoriglio sauce: Whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil in a medium bowl. Add garlic, capers, herbs and lemon zest. The sauce should be loose in consistency with high-acid flavor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• For the fish: Preheat the grill for cooking over high heat (around 450 to 500 degrees F).
• Bring fish to room temperature, 30 minutes, then wrap fish briefly in paper towels to dry out skin, which will help keep the fish from sticking to the grill.
• Stuff the inside cavity of the fish with herbs, garlic and lemon slices, and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Brush the outside of the fish with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush a fish grill basket with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place fish in fish grill basket and secure shut. (If you don't have a fish grill basket, place the fish between 2 wire cooling racks and secure the racks together with wire.)
• Place basket on the hottest part of the grill. Cook until the eye turns white and skin is charred, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes.
• Place fish on a platter and dress with the Salmoriglio sauce.

WHOLE BRANZINO ROASTED IN SEA SALT WITH AROMATIC HERBS

Steps:

• Serving suggestions: Steamed vegetables and plain mashed potatoes
• To make the vinaigrette sauce: In a small bowl, mix together salt and lemon juice, and then add the olive oil. When it comes time to serve, mix the aromatic herb mixture into the sauce, see Cook's note*.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Clean and dry the branzino. In a bowl, mix egg whites, flour, sea salt, and the aromatic herbs, creating a smooth mixture. Line the bottom of a baking pan with the parchment paper. Place the branzino onto the parchment paper. Cover the entire branzino (top and all sides but not the bottom) with the sea salt mixture.
• Bake for 20 minutes, and then remove from oven. While the fish is still in the baking pan, crack open the sea salt case, push it to the side, then fillet. Place the branzino fillets onto a plate. Serve with vinaigrette sauce on the side, steamed vegetables and plain mashed potatoes.
• Combine all herbs.

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.

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.