Roasted Whole Branzino
Rated 3.6 stars by 20 users
"When I first tasted this olive oil, I was instantly transported to Liguria and its rich and bountiful costal sea. Memories of the freshest and most flavorful seafood I have ever experienced come to life in my minds eye. The thought of freshly caught branzino, octopus and other treasures of the sea pulled from the oven or off the grill, waiting a simple drizzle of this premium, flavorful Ligurian olive oil.”
- Frank Pellegrino Jr.
Rao's Homemade
Ingredients
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4 whole branzino, gutted and cleaned
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6 Medium sized lemons, 2 sliced into 1/8th inch rings, 2 halved and 2 quartered
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8 sprigs fresh thyme
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8 springs fresh rosemary
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8 sprigs fresh oregano
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8 garlic cloves, peeled
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1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
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8 teaspoons salted butter
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4 cups arugula, rinsed and dried
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¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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8oz Rao’s Homemade Ligurian olive oil for drizzling
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 400F.
Place the Branzino in aluminum baking tray. Season the inside of each cavity of the cleaned fish with a misting of lemon juice from lemon halves, 3 slices of lemon, then layer 2 sprigs each of thyme, rosemary, and oregano, 2 garlic cloves, and 3 butter slices. Scatter the cherry tomatoes throughout the tray. Drizzle olive oil to each of the Branzino.
Place tray in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until the meat flakes easily with a fork.
While the fish is cooking, in a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the arugula and 1 - 2 tablespoon of the Rao’s Homemade Ligurian olive oil. Using a fresh lemon halve and a small sieve to collect lemon seeds add a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Gently toss until arugula is evenly coated with dressing. Season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer the arugula to a large serving plate, creating a bed for the fish. Using a spatula, transfer the branzino from the aluminum tray to the bed of arugula. Drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of Ligurian olive oil on top of each whole fish, sprinkle with parsley, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately.
