Branzino Al Cartoccio Recipes

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.

SAFFRON LEMON BRANZINO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F with a rack in the middle position. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray.
• Place the saffron and ice in a small bowl and set aside at room temperature until the ice melts. This will be your saffron water.
• Using a sharp knife, cut 5 or 6 slits, 1 inch apart, through the skin and flesh of each fish on one side. Salt and pepper both sides of the fish and set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1 minute more.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the parsley, walnuts, pomegranate molasses, turmeric, 1 tablespoon of the saffron water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set the onion filling aside.
• Stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the remaining lemon juice and the remaining saffron water in a small bowl. Brush the insides of the fish with some of this saffron-lemon mixture, then stuff the cavities with the onion filling. Seal the cavities shut using 3 toothpicks along each open edge. Brush the top of the fish with some of the saffron and lemon mixture, then transfer the fish to the prepared sheet pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Brush the top of the fish with some of the saffron mixture, then bake until cooked through and the flesh flakes easily, about 15 minutes more (see Cook's Note). Remove the sheet pan from the oven and turn on the broiler.
• Brush the top of the fish with more of the saffron lemon mixture, then broil until the skin is golden and somewhat crispy, 3 to 5 minutes; keep a close eye to make sure the tops don't burn. Remove the toothpicks and serve with sabzi polo (see Cook's Note).

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.