Ingredients
- 4 branzino
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 teaspoon tangerines
- 3 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 teaspoon fennel bulbs
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon
- 1/4 cup parsley
Preparation
Baking Directions:
Branzino is a fish that I used to eat only abroad; now I see it in fish markets all over the place.
It’s a Mediterranean sea bass.
When it’s grilled, it has a soft, delicate oceany flavor, and the skin gets very crisp.
It’s also loaded with omega-3 oil.
I think it’s my new favorite fish.
I paired its flavors with crisp, raw fennel and citrus.
When you taste this recipe, it’s undeniably summer.
Put the fillets in a baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer.
Put the fennel seeds and peppercorns on a cutting board and whack with the bottom of a heavy pan to crack them; sprinkle the cracked spices over the fish.
Remove a strip of zest from one of the tangerines with a zester or microplane and add it to the dish.
Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil over the fish and let it all marinate for 1 hour.
Cut off the top and bottom ends of the tangerines so that they stand upright.
Then use a knife to cut off the peels in long strips, including as much of the bitter white pith as possible.
Cut between the membranes to free the sections; remove the seeds and set the sections aside in a medium bowl.
Discard the membranes.
Place a large grill pan on two burners over medium-high heat or preheat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill and get it very hot.
Take a few paper towels and fold them several times to make a square.
Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towels and then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill (or the ridges of the grill pan) to create a nonstick surface.
Sprinkle the fish with salt.
Put it on the grill and cook, turning once, until just cooked through but a little translucent in the center, 4 to 5 minutes total for thinner fillets, 8 to 12 minutes for thicker fillets.
To finish, take your bowl with the tangerine sections, add the fennel, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon juice, parsley, fennel fronds, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss.
Arrange the salad on a platter, put the fish on top, and serve.
