The beauty of this Mediterranean recipe for roasted branzino, also known as Mediterranean sea bass, lies in its easy preparation and perfect flavor combination.
Branzino roasted whole, besides being the easiest way to cook it, comes out moist, juicy and absolutely delicious. A classic Mediterranean lemon and olive oil sauce (called Salmoriglio in Italy) is used first to marinate the fish, and later brought to the table as a dressing. Potatoes roast to golden in the same pan. All you need is a simple salad or caramelized fennel to complete your meal.
This recipe for whole roasted branzino is for everyone, including anyone out there that feels uncomfortable cooking or shopping for whole fish. I’ve covered all aspects (that I can think of!) from shopping for whole fish like a pro, to simply preparing and roasting a whole branzino fish, to how to eat a whole fish like a pro, or good enough! Shall I suggest a wine? That’s easy, I’ll share the wine most often in our glasses when enjoying a Mediterranean branzino meal at our table.
What is Branzino?
Branzino is an excellent lean white fish native to the Mediterranean. It has some of the best qualities you would want in a fish: tasty, moist and flaky. Branzino has a pleasant, mildly sweet saline taste. If fresh enough, it literally tastes of the sea.
Known in Italy as branzino (pronounced bræn ZEE noh), or branzini in the plural, as well as spigola, this seawater fish goes by many names, including Mediterranean sea bass, Italian sea bass, European sea bass, loup de mer (luh duh meh(r) in France, lubina (luh BEE na) in Spain and lavraki (lav RAH kee) in Greece.
Ingredients for Whole Roasted Branzino with Mediterranean Lemon Sauce and Potatoes
In true Mediterranean fashion, along with minimal effort, this roasted branzino fish recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients for a complete one-pan fish meal:
- A quick lemon olive oil sauce – The sauce for the branzino takes less than 5 minutes to whisk together. Known as Salmoriglio in Italy or Ladolemono in Greece, this is essentially the same lemon-olive oil marinade and dressing used all over the Mediterranean since ancient times. Often mixed with garlic and herbs, it’s a popular condiment for seafood (as well as meats and vegetables).
- Lemon – It would be hard to find a flavor that pairs better with fish than lemon. Before squeezing lemon juice, or cutting lemon slices to roast with the fish, if you like, grate the zest first to sprinkle on top of the fish and potatoes. (If you have never tried lemon zest on potatoes, you have to try it.)
- Aromatics: I always add fresh rosemary. Bay leaves add another harmonious layer and beauty to the plate. However, if you are out of bay leaves, don’t worry. Throw in some crushed unpeeled garlic cloves among the potatoes for any garlic lovers at the table.
- Potatoes – You could separately cook rice instead. But adding potato slices, a favorite way to cook fish in the Mediterranean, is incredibly delicious and makes an easy one pan meal.
- Branzino fish – The star of the meal. What size to buy, instructions for the fishmonger, and substitutes are all included in the recipe below. For tips on how to buy fresh whole fish, check out the shopping tips below.
Shopping Tips: How to Tell if Fish is Fresh:
Cooking and shopping for whole fish is something many feel intimidated by it. I got over it once I learned the basics and was able to distinguish between a freshly caught fish worthy of cooking … and when to pass.
The main difference between shopping for a whole fish and a fillet, besides convenience, is that the signs and references for freshness (or lack of) are mostly removed when the fish has already been filleted. This is one of the great advantages of buying fish whole. Once you choose the fish, the fishmonger can scale, gut and clean the fish to your specifications (per the recipe).
Here’s what to look for:
- Eyes: should be clear, shiny and puffy, not cloudy and sunken.
- Gills: should be bright red or orange, not brown – to check, lift the gill flaps.
- Skin: should be shiny without any discoloration, and slightly slippery.
- Texture: should be firm and bounce back when pressed.
- Smell: should smell of the ocean, not fish, nor have any rancid or unpleasant odor.
Overview of Making Mediterranean Branzino
Roasting branzino whole is by far the easiest and best way to cook branzini (plural), and many fish for that matter. Why? Because there’s not much to do on your part, and the skin keeps the meat flavorful while keeping it from drying out or falling apart. This has been the traditional way of cooking fish in the Mediterranean for millennia, and is how it’s still commonly served in Mediterranean restaurants and homes today.
This meal comes together easily. Here’s a quick overview:
- Make the lemon olive oil sauce (called salmoriglio in Italy), which takes around 5 minutes.
- Slice, salt, and douse the potatoes. Then get them started in the oven while you prepare the fish.
- Douse the fish inside and out with the salmoriglio lemon sauce. Then slice a few lemon rounds to go into the fish along with fresh herbs. The fish only needs to go into the oven during the last half of cooking the potatoes.
Serve With
Roasted branzino with potatoes can be served for a special occasion, as well as for a casual weekend meal. Either way, I can’t think of a better choice to accompany roasted branzino than with Caramelized Fennel. It’s subtle Mediterranean hint of anise and deeply golden color pair beautifully with fish.
And you can’t beat a simple green salad, dressed with a little of the same lemony olive oil Salmoriglio sauce used with the fish. (For the salad, I often omit the herbs and pile on more freshly crushed black pepper.)
One of the best desserts to go with branzino is lemon granita.
Suggested Wine: Possibly no wine is more common on our table when enjoying seafood than a crisp glass of Italian vermentino, a grape that thrives near the sea, especially from coastal vineyards in Sardinia, Tuscany and Liguria.
At the Table: How to Eat Whole Branzino
If you have one big fish, you can debone and plate the fish in the kitchen. If each person has their own individual fish, filleting is commonly done at the table as-you-eat. In this case, it’s helpful to provide a side plate for discarding the bones.
There is no right or wrong here. I am not an expert (like my mother), and sometimes do a better job than others. My principal advice is to take your time and thoroughly enjoy it.
Here is how I do it:
Whether you are in your kitchen, at the table, or you are presented with a whole fish at a restaurant, you can use these same general guidelines.
- Remove the dorsal (top) and belly (bottom) bones: With the fish laying on its side, run a sharp knife through the natural seam or edge along the top length of the fish, and then along the bottom length of the fish. With your knife, pull or push aside all the dorsal (top) fin bones and cartilage, and then any fin bones along the belly of the fish, and discard.
- Lift the skin off the upper side of the fish.
- Fillet the upper side of the fish:
- At the table (as you eat) – Use your knife and fork to dislodge the top fillet of fish meat from the spine, and eat.
- In the kitchen (filleting a larger multi-portion cooked fish to plate before serving) – If you have a fish spatula, use it to dislodge the top fillet of fish meat from the spine and transfer to a plate.
- Notes: Depending on if you made slashes in the fish before cooking, it may already be in smaller pieces. You can also slide the meat off each side of the spine separately, if you prefer — it may not be quite as pretty as a whole fillet, but you might be able to get more fish meat off the bone.
- Remove the spine, lifting from the tale up to the head, and discard.
- Flip the fish over, with skin now on top. Remove the skin, and if at the table, enjoy with fork and knife, or transfer the fillet to a separate plate.
Recipe
This recipe uses an easy lemon olive oil sauce, salmoriglio, to both marinate and dress the roasted fish and potatoes. Check out the link in the box below for the Salmoriglio recipe.
Roasted Branzino with Mediterranean Lemon Sauce and Potatoes
Ingredients
Salmoriglio Sauce
- 1 recipe Salmoriglio Sauce (¾ cup, 190ml)
For the Potatoes
- 2 lb potatoes, Yukon Gold or new potatoes are ideal
- at least ¼ tsp salt
- ½ head of garlic cloves (optional) unpeeled, crushed
For the Fish
- 1½ to 2 lb (1 large or 2 small) whole branzino fish (Mediterranean sea bass, see Notes) scaled, gutted and cleaned
- 4 stems fresh rosemary
- 2 bay laurel leaves, fresh or dried
- 2 lemon slices
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Prepare the salmoriglio sauce.
Potatoes:
- Peel and slice the potatoes to ¼ inch (8mm) thick, and place on a large baking sheet.
- Drizzle with 4 Tbsp of salmoriglio sauce and toss until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the slices evenly over the whole surface of the pan to insure the potatoes turn deeply golden.(Optional: scatter garlic cloves among the potatoes). Bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile prepare the fish:
- Rinse the fish and pat completely dry.
- Place the fish on a cutting board. Depending on size, make 3 to 4 diagonal incisions into the thickest part of the flesh of each side with a sharp knife, cutting through to the bone to help it cook evenly throughout.
- Season with salt and pepper, inside and out, and drizzle a teaspoon of salmoriglio sauce on each side of the fish, into the slashes, and inside the cavity. Stuff the belly with a handful of rosemary, bay leaves and a few slices of lemon.
20 minutes into cooking the potatoes:
- Scrape the potatoes off the bottom of the baking pan with a spatula, toss, lightly sprinkle with more salt, and make sure the potatoes are evenly distributed on the surface of the baking pan.
- Place the fish on top of the potatoes, and cook for about 20 to 30 more minutes, or until a thermometer reads 145°F (62°C) in the thickest part of the fish; or if the flesh comes off the middle bone easily with a fork. For great texture, do not overcook.
- To serve, drizzle with more salmoriglio sauce, and garnish with some fresh herbs and a lemon wedge. Serve more salmoriglio at the table.
- What Size Fish to Buy?
- For a single portion, around 14 ounces (almost a pound, 400g) of whole fish is considered a good size. This yields about 50% flesh and 50% head, guts and bones.
- For two people to share, I would recommend a whole fish between 27-35 ounces (1¾-2¼lb, 800g-1kg) in total weight.
- A single large fish or multiple smaller fish? Get whatever looks best. If you happen to come across a great specimen, say 3½-4 pounds (1.5-1.8kg), it would make a great presentation for four.
- Keep in mind that smaller fish will need less time in the oven, while larger fish will need to cook longer.
- Instructions for the Fishmonger – The fish must be scaled, gutted, cleaned and pat dried before roasting. I highly recommend to ask the fishmonger do this, as it’s very messy to do at home — especially the scaling, as the scales tend to fly everywhere, literally! So, if you want to do yourself a favor, ask the fishmonger to do it for you — it’s part of their service.
- Other Fish You Can Use with This Recipe – red snapper, sea bream (orata), salmon (a small one), tilapia, and trout are a few good options.
