Branzino With Fried Lemons and Tahini Sauce

Amarante

Wed, Nov 25 2020, 7:48 am

This was delicious and very easy to cook. Both the sauce and the breadcrumbs can be made well ahead of time and I did just that.

You do need to cook the fish in batches because you don't want to crowd them because otherwise you will get steamed instead of seared fish and the end result won't be as good.

Branzino With Fried Lemons and Tahini Sauce

Excerpt From: Karen Tedesco - Family Style

Branzino (called loup de mer in French) is a type of Mediterranean sea bass that has a mild, nutty-sweet taste that even self-declared fish haters will go for. It matches up perfectly with zingy, bold seasonings like lemon and garlic. And the crunchy breadcrumbs sprinkled over the cooked fish provide a welcome contrast to the fish’s delicate texture. I love to serve this dish with a creamy yogurt-tahini sauce for added richness. Branzino is often sold whole—ask your fishmonger to fillet it for you.

SERVES 4 – 6

YOGURT-TAHINI SAUCE

⅓ cup (80 g) thick plain yogurt, such as Greek- or Icelandic-style
¼ cup (55 g) tahini
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) cold water
1 tsp za’atar
½ tsp finely chopped or grated garlic
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper

BRANZINO

6 skin-on branzino fillets (about 1½ lbs [680 g])
2 tsp (7 g) grated fresh lemon zest
2 tsp (2 g) chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 slices crusty sourdough bread, cut into cubes
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 small lemons, halved
2 tbsp (6 g) chopped fresh Italian parsley
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

For the sauce, whisk the yogurt, tahini, oil, lemon juice, water, za’atar, garlic, salt and cayenne in a bowl, or pulse it in a mini food processor, until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If necessary, add more water, drop by drop. You’re looking for a thick, spreadable consistency. Taste and add more salt, lemon juice or pepper, if needed, to suit your taste. You can refrigerate the sauce for 3 to 5 days, if you’d like to make it ahead (it will thicken a bit).

To make the branzino, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Put the branzino fillets on a work surface. Pat the skin side dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the flesh side of the fish evenly with the lemon zest, thyme, salt and pepper, rubbing in the seasonings lightly. Set the fish aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

Pulse the bread cubes in a small food processor or blender until they form coarse crumbs. Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crumbs and stir them to coat them in the oil. Cook until the crumbs turn golden brown and smell toasty, about 5 minutes. Scrape the crumbs into a small bowl.

Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the remaining olive oil in each of two large, ovenproof skillets, and place them over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Put one halved lemon in each pan, flesh side down. Sear the lemons until they’re golden brown, about 2 minutes. Move the lemons to the side of the pan and add three fish fillets, skin side down, to each pan, pressing on the fillets with a spatula.
Cook the fish until the skin starts to brown and crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pans to the oven, and bake until the fish is opaque and cooked through, about 5 minutes.

To serve, spread the yogurt-tahini sauce over the bottom of a large platter. Arrange the fish on top of the sauce and squeeze the juice from the fried lemons over the fish. Sprinkle ⅓ cup (22 g) of the breadcrumbs and the parsley over the fish. The remaining breadcrumbs will keep for 5 days in a covered container. Crush a large pinch of the sea salt between your fingers and scatter it over the fish.

FOR A FAMILY-STYLE FEAST

This makes a perfect light and elegant meal. The lemony flavors in this dish go with Italian White Beans and Greens and Roasted Za’atar Cauliflower Salad