I saw a recipe on Food Network (c'mon, how many of you can honestly say that watching it doesn't make you both super hungry and want to cook something??) and I came across a recipe I wanted to try. Now like the rest of you, I'm not that big on the surf and more into turff when it comes to meat. Don't get me wrong, I love a nicely prepared samon, halibut, or tuna steak. I lived in Japan for the first four years of my life -- I have no aversions to sushi. But fish several times a week is something I am not accustomed to and am trying to work on. With both my current and past medical situations, I need to eat more healthy and although this isn't the best in terms of health, this dish is certainly better than most (not to mention it's delish).
It's been a while since I added a recipe so here's one I tweaked slightly from Giada De Laurentiis. I've made it twice now and both times it's turned out perfect. And yes, the pictures are pre-cooking. It's so good I keep forgetting to take pictures AFTER it's cooked!
ROASTED BRANZINO (or White Fish) WITH LEMONS
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 8 ounces pancetta, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
- Vegetable oil cooking spray
- 2 (1 1/2-pound) whole branzino (or striped bass or red snapper), cleaned, heads removed and filleted -- I used 3 whitefish fillets from the freezer section of my local grocer. I didn't defrost them but merely prepared the fish as directed -- without skin -- and the recipe STILL turned out fantastic)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons, zested
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds - I used a fresh Anise bulb and fronds as fennel was a little hard to find. You'll need FRESH because you actually use the bulb, not just the fronds.
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves - I found dried thyme works fine.
- 2 lemons, thinly sliced
- 1 medium bulb fennel, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine - chardonnay worked fine, also used a moscato blend - I don't drink so I drew upon my husband's knowledge. I'm sure cooking wine would be fine too if you don't want to buy actual alcohol
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
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.
