Whole Roasted Branzino Recipes

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.

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 LEMON PAPRIKA SEASONING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.
• In a small bowl combine hot paprika, smoked paprika, lemon peel seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Mix.
• Make 4 diagonal slits on both sides of the fish.
• Rub olive oil over the fish inside and out.
• Rub seasoning on the fish, making sure to rub it inside the slits.
• Stuff garlic into the slits.
• Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and place half the lemon slices on the foil,
• Place fish on top of the lemon slices and place remaining slices inside fish and on top.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, broiling on high for the last few minutes if you want the top browned.

WHOLE ROASTED BRANZINI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Oil a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Rinse fish well, pat dry with paper towels, and place on baking sheet. In the cavity of each fish, place 2 lemon slices, 1 sprig dill, 1/2 of the fennel, 2 sprigs parsley, and 1/2 of the reserved fennel fronds. Season the cavity and exterior of each fish with salt and pepper. Lay 3 slices lemon over the top of each fish. Drizzle oil lightly over fish and roast until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer fish to serving plates and serve with lemon wedges.

WHOLE ROASTED BRANZINO

Steps:

• Rinse fish, pat dry, and place on a lightly oiled baking pan or wood plank. (increase baking time by 50% for wood) Brush fish inside and out with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity of each fish with 2 or 3 lemon slices. spread garlic inside and over both sides of fish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 5 minutes. Turn fish over; cook 5 more minutes. Turn oven to broil, and cook fish 3 to 5 minutes or until skin blisters and fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fish from oven, and transfer to serving plates. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with Salsa Verde, Lemon Aïoli, and Romesco.

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.

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.