Whole Roasted Branzino
By Jack BishopPublished on April 16, 2020
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Italian Name:
Branzino al forno
Ingredients
Before You Begin
If branzino isn't available, you can substitute sea bass. Fish weighing more than 2 pounds will be hard to maneuver on the sheet and should be avoided.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease parchment. Whisk ¼ cup oil, minced parsley, lemon juice, orange juice, shallot, and pepper flakes together in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside for serving.
- Combine lemon zest, orange zest, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in second bowl. Rinse each branzino under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Using sharp knife, make 3 or 4 shallow slashes, about 2 inches apart, on both sides of branzino. Open cavity of each branzino and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt mixture on flesh. Stuff cavities with orange slices and parsley stems. Brush 1 tablespoon oil on outside of each branzino and season with remaining salt mixture; transfer to prepared sheet and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Roast until branzino flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Carefully transfer branzino to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Fillet branzino by making vertical cut just behind head from top of fish to belly; discard citrus slices. Make another cut along top of branzino from head to tail. Use spatula to lift meat from bones, starting at head end and running spatula over bones to lift out fillet. Repeat on other side of branzino. Discard head and skeleton. Whisk dressing to recombine and serve with branzino.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Italian Name:
Branzino al fornoIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Liguria's coastline is 220 miles long, so the region's culture is shaped by the sea. Although seafood surprisingly isn't always considered Ligurians' most prized meal—upon returning home, fishermen prefer food with a focus on the fresh produce that comes from the region's rich soil—salty air and al fresco dining make branzino, a European sea bass, a common dish in the region, as it is in coastal areas all over Italy. More so than in America, Italians favor cooking fish whole. Roasted whole, branzino is simplicity at its finest, and this easy technique delivers deep flavor to the mild white fish. Placing the fish on a rimmed baking sheet allowed for plenty of air circulation, which gave the branzino a firm, flaky texture, and a brief stint in a hot oven helped it stay moist. Shallow slashes in the skin ensured even cooking and seasoning, and also allowed us to gauge the doneness of the fish easily. We infused the branzino with flavor by rubbing it with an intense citrusy salt made from a combination of lemon zest, orange zest, salt, and pepper, and stuffing it with sliced oranges. We served it with a quick herby citrus vinaigrette.
Before You Begin
If branzino isn't available, you can substitute sea bass. Fish weighing more than 2 pounds will be hard to maneuver on the sheet and should be avoided.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and grease parchment. Whisk ¼ cup oil, minced parsley, lemon juice, orange juice, shallot, and pepper flakes together in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside for serving.
- Combine lemon zest, orange zest, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in second bowl. Rinse each branzino under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Using sharp knife, make 3 or 4 shallow slashes, about 2 inches apart, on both sides of branzino. Open cavity of each branzino and sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt mixture on flesh. Stuff cavities with orange slices and parsley stems. Brush 1 tablespoon oil on outside of each branzino and season with remaining salt mixture; transfer to prepared sheet and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Roast until branzino flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Carefully transfer branzino to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Fillet branzino by making vertical cut just behind head from top of fish to belly; discard citrus slices. Make another cut along top of branzino from head to tail. Use spatula to lift meat from bones, starting at head end and running spatula over bones to lift out fillet. Repeat on other side of branzino. Discard head and skeleton. Whisk dressing to recombine and serve with branzino.
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