Food memories can be some of the
sweetest to recall, transporting you back to times, places, scenes--and
tastes--that make life special for all the right reasons. One such memory recently came to mind, as I
recalled a scrumptious Whole Roasted Branzino that I had enjoyed at the Italian
food emporium, Eataly, during one of my jaunts to NYC.
A simple, yet elegant, preparation
served up amazingly moist and succulent fish, with a crispy skin to match, for
one of the best seafood bites I had enjoyed to date.
And with that delicious memory now back in view, I set out to bring the
same delectable bite to my kitchen.
My first time preparing a whole fish,
rather than fillets, I was excited as much by the presentation of the dish, as I
was the preparation. I decided to stuff
the fish with the wonderful flavors of citrus, onion and herbs, with an outcome
that was as delicious as what I recalled at the restaurant. I added to the decadence with a creamy
parsnip puree and crispy, roasted kale to round out one amazing meal—and another
delectable memory.
Happy Eating!
Whole Roasted Branzino
Ingredients:
2 Whole Branzino, cleaned, with head and tail intact (tip: get your fishmonger to do this)
Fresh thyme sprigs
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and lemon slices for stuffing
Onion slices
Kosher Salt
Flaked Sea Salt, optional
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup water
Method:
Preheat oven to
350°F.
Sprinkle fish inside and out with kosher salt and pepper. Stuff
each with thyme sprigs, onion and lemon slices. Arrange fish in 13x9x2-inch
glass baking dish. Pour in wine, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice.
Drizzle with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil.
Roast fish 35
minutes. Remove from oven and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt, if using.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Roasted Kale
Ingredients:
Kale, chopped or torn into leaves
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Arrange kale on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and place in preheated 350 F oven. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until preferred crispness.
