Branzino Blt Recipes

Steps:

• For the puttanesca: To the bowl of a food processor, add the peppers, garlic, olives, capers, tomato paste, anchovy paste and salt. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. With the motor running, add 1 tablespoon water and the olive oil in a steady stream until emulsified and smooth. Pour the sauce into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• For the branzino: Dry the branzino fillets well with paper towels. Score the skin of each fillet three times with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with the salt.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lay 4 fillets, skin-side down, in the pan; press gently to ensure full contact with the pan. Cook until the skin is golden brown and the flesh is opaque at the edges, 2 minutes. Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 10 seconds; remove to a plate. Wipe out the pan and repeat with the remaining oil and fish.
• To serve, spread some sauce on each serving plate and shingle 2 fillets on top. Drizzle with a little more sauce if desired.

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.

Steps:

• Make the marinade. Preheat a grill to medium high. Meanwhile, combine the lime zest, ginger, shallot, olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl.
• Stuff the fish. Thinly slice 1 lime. Stuff the slices into the cavity of each fish along with the basil leaves and ginger slices. Set aside half of the marinade for serving, then brush the rest on the fish. Season inside and out with kosher salt and pepper.
• Grill the fish. Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Transfer the fish to the grill and cook until the skin starts to crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not move the fish or the skin will stick to the grill. To flip the fish, place a spatula under the head end and use tongs to hold the cavity closed; gently roll the fish over. Cook the fish on the other side until the skin is crisp, 5 to 7 more minutes. Check the eyes: When they're both white, the fish is done. Transfer to a platter. Cut the remaining 4 limes in half; grill cut side down until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the platter.
• Fillet the fish. Using a fork and starting at the tail end, peel back the skin from one side of the fish; discard. Run a knife along the back of the fish to separate the top and bottom fillets. Use the knife to remove any additional skin along the back. Using a spoon, gently loosen and lift the top fillet away from the bottom fillet. Lift the head and use the spoon to carefully separate the spine from the bottom fillet. Discard the tail, head and stuffing. Remove and discard the skin from the bottom fillet. Repeat with the second fish.
• Serve. Drizzle the fillets with the reserved marinade; finish with some olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve with the grilled limes and more basil.

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.

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.

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the branzino fillets on paper towels and dry well. With a sharp knife, score the skin of each fillet by making three shallow cuts on a slight diagonal. Sprinkle the fillets on all sides with the salt.
• Add the oil to the hot pan; then add the fillets, skin side down, being sure to lay the fish away from you in the pan. Press gently on each fillet to make sure the skin has full contact with the pan. Allow the fish to cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Using a fish spatula, gently flip the fillets and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the branzino to a platter, skin side up, and keep warm.
• To the hot pan, add the tomatoes, capers and olives. Cook for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the white wine, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Stir in the butter and parsley. Spoon the sauce over the branzino and serve.

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.