Branzino With Puttanesca Recipes

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.

BRANZINO WITH POLENTA, WILD MUSHROOMS AND WATERCRESS

Steps:

• Preheat a large saute pan with the canola oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Place the branzino in the pan skin-side down and cook until the skin is crispy, about 10 minutes. Flip the fish with a spatula and cook the other side for 1 minute. Set aside.
• Add the milk to a small pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, add the polenta and cook, stirring slowly, for 10 minutes, then add the mascarpone and 1 tablespoon butter. Cover and remove from the heat.
• Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon butter, then the shallots and garlic, and cook until translucent. Break mushrooms by hand and add to the pan, then cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the white wine and cook for 10 more minutes. Stir in the sherry vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Place the polenta on the bottom of 2 plates, spoon the mushrooms over the polenta and place the branzino fillets on top. Garnish with the watercress, then drizzle with the olive oil and squeeze the lemon over the top.

BRANZINO A LABELLE

Steps:

• Season the branzino fillets with salt and a big pinch of pepper. Sprinkle with the turmeric.
• Heat the grapeseed oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the fillets to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Flip and add the butter, parsley and garlic to the pan. Continue cooking, basting the fish as the butter melts, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the fillets to a platter. Garnish on the side with the tomatoes and lemon wedges.

LINGUINI PUTTANESCA

Steps:

• In a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil, shallots, garlic, oregano, basil and anchovy fillets. Sweat about 30 seconds, until anchovies begin to break down. Add capers and olives and saute 1 minute. Deglaze with white wine, add clam juice, let reduce by 1/3. Add plum tomatoes and thoroughly incorporate. Add marinara sauce. Season, to taste.
• In separate pot, bring 1 1/2 gallons of water to boil. Season water generously with salt. When water is at a rapid boil, add linguini, stir so there is no clumping. Cook until al dente, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add cooked pasta to puttanesca sauce and toss. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

BRANZINO BLT

Steps:

• Preheat a wood burning oven or conventional oven to 450 degrees F. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Render the bacon bits in a medium high-sided saute pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon bits and reserve for serving later; reserve the rendered fat.
• Add the reserved rendered fat, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, some basil, vinegar and some olive oil to a medium saucepan and turn the heat to low. Allow the tomatoes to confit in the rendered fat until they are tender and have lost some of their juice, about 10 minutes.
• Rinse the branzinos under cold water and dry off with paper towels. Sprinkle the surface and cavities of the fish with salt and pepper. Slice the lemons into wheels and place in the cavities of the fish along with some fresh basil leaves. Place the fish on a sheet tray and bake until the fish is cooked through and the skin has crisped, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the grits: Add 375 grams water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the polenta and stir to combine. Add the mascarpone and salt and stir until the mascarpone is melted. Stir in the butter, banana and Parmesan until completely incorporated and melted into the polenta.
• Place the halved romaine on the grill, cut-side down, and sear until grilled, about 2 minutes.
• Arrange the grilled baby romaine on a large platter. Top with the branzino, spoonfuls of the tomato vinaigrette and grits, then garnish with the bacon crumbles.

PAN-SEARED BRANZINO WITH TOMATO AND CAPERS

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.