Best Branzino Alla Max Recipes

BRANZINO BLT

Steps:

• Preheat a wood burning oven or conventional oven to 450 degrees F. Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
• Render the bacon bits in a medium high-sided saute pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon bits and reserve for serving later; reserve the rendered fat.
• Add the reserved rendered fat, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, some basil, vinegar and some olive oil to a medium saucepan and turn the heat to low. Allow the tomatoes to confit in the rendered fat until they are tender and have lost some of their juice, about 10 minutes.
• Rinse the branzinos under cold water and dry off with paper towels. Sprinkle the surface and cavities of the fish with salt and pepper. Slice the lemons into wheels and place in the cavities of the fish along with some fresh basil leaves. Place the fish on a sheet tray and bake until the fish is cooked through and the skin has crisped, 15 to 20 minutes.
• For the grits: Add 375 grams water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the polenta and stir to combine. Add the mascarpone and salt and stir until the mascarpone is melted. Stir in the butter, banana and Parmesan until completely incorporated and melted into the polenta.
• Place the halved romaine on the grill, cut-side down, and sear until grilled, about 2 minutes.
• Arrange the grilled baby romaine on a large platter. Top with the branzino, spoonfuls of the tomato vinaigrette and grits, then garnish with the bacon crumbles.

BRANZINO WITH BROWN BUTTER AND ALMONDS ON A BED OF CRISPY KALE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the broiler.
• Drizzle the kale with a little EVOO and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Arrange on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and broil until crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Warm a serving platter in a 250 degree F oven.
• Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, then saute until just cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Douse the fish with the vermouth, then transfer to the platter and cover to keep warm.
• Return the skillet to the heat and toast the almonds over medium heat. Add the butter and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Grate the zest of the lemon and add it to the browned butter, then squeeze in the juice from half the lemon. Stir in the parsley.
• Arrange the fish on a bed of crispy kale. Slice the remaining lemon half into 4 thin rounds and place one on each piece of fish. Spoon the brown butter sauce and the almonds on top.

BRANZINO WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, OLIVE OIL POACHED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• For the mushrooms: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the olive oil to the pan and allow to heat until the verge of smoking. Then reduce the heat to medium and add the mushrooms. Allow the mushrooms to cook for 5 to 6 minutes, and then remove.
• For the fish: In a nonstick saute pan, add the grapeseed oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, and then add the fish to the pan, flesh-side down. Cook for 2 minutes, flip the fish and turn the heat off. Allow the fish to finish with the residual heat for 2 minutes. Then remove the fish and allow to rest until serving.
• For the sauce: In the same pan, return to medium-high heat. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Then flip the tomatoes and add the wine to deglaze the pan. Next, add the lemon juice, parsley and garlic. Remove the tomatoes and arrange flat on a serving plate, end to end. Allow the sauce to reduce by half, yielding 1/2 cup. Once reduced, turn the heat off and stir in the butter to finish the sauce. Then place the fish over the tomatoes, arrange the mushrooms and spoon the sauce over the fish. Serve.

BRANZINO WITH CLAMS, LEEKS AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• For the salsa verde: In a food processor, combine the olives, cocktail onions, cornichons, capers and anchovies and blend until smooth. Set aside in a bowl.
• In a food processor or blender, puree the parsley with the olive oil until smooth. Do not puree too long or it may get too hot and cause the parsley to darken. Reserve in the food processor. Just before serving, pour the parsley oil into the olive-caper mixture and mix to combine.
• For the leeks: In a saute pan over medium heat, add some olive oil. Add the leek coins and thyme and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the leeks start to wilt, 8 to 10 minutes. Deglaze with some vegetable stock and cover. Continue to cook, adding more stock as necessary, until the leeks are tender, another 10 to 15 minutes. Add additional salt if needed. Reserve.
• For the branzino: Heat a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Season the fish with salt.
• Put some canola oil in the pan and wait until it's just about to hit the smoking point. Place the fish in the pan skin-side down (at this point the fish will buckle). Wait 30 seconds, then press the fish down so the skin makes contact with the pan and begins to crisp up. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the skin is crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the thyme sprig on the fish and spoon some of the hot oil over the flesh to finish cooking it, about 1 minute. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the leeks and clams and deglaze with some vegetable stock. Cover and cook until the clams steam open, about 2 minutes. Finish with the parsley and olive oil and adjust the seasoning.
• Put 1 tablespoon of the salsa verde on a plate, arrange the vegetables and clams on top and top with the fish fillet.

BRANZINO MEDITERRANEAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large baking pan; add onion and season with salt and pepper.
• Place the 2 cleaned fish into the baking pan and stuff each cavity with 1 lemon wedge, 1 rosemary sprig, and some of the red onion. Pour white wine and lemon juice over each fish and sprinkle with oregano. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the 2 fish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 25 minutes. Gently slide a spatula between the bones to separate fish; remove all the bones. Serve fish on a platter and garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

BRANZINO WITH ARUGULA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add egg, cook 6 minutes, drain and set aside. Place a Silpat or sheet of parchment paper in a baking dish large enough to hold the fish. Brush Silpat or paper with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Brush fish on both sides with another 1/2 tablespoon of oil and place in dish, skin side down. Combine fleur de sel, pink peppercorns, thyme and lemon zest and scatter on fish.
• Peel egg and coarsely chop. Into a blender, add egg, arugula, chervil, parsley, 3 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and the 1/3 cup olive oil. Process to a fine purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Put fish in the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Spread sauce on each of 4 warm dinner plates. Cut each fillet in four pieces and place two pieces on each plate, on the arugula sauce. Season fish with salt and pepper. Garnish with arugula and serve.