Branzino In Salsa Picante Recipes

PAN-SEARED BRANZINO WITH HERB SALSA

Steps:

• Mince the anchovies, capers, garlic and red pepper flakes together on a cutting board, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and mash into a paste using the flat side of a chef's knife. Transfer to a food processor along with the parsley, mint and marjoram. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and process until smooth; transfer to a medium bowl.
• Toast the fennel seeds in a skillet over medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and crush with the bottom of a small skillet. Combine with 1/4 cup of the herb mixture and the herbes de Provence in a small bowl. Put the fish fillets in a shallow dish and brush with the fennel seed-herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.
• Meanwhile, add the lemon juice, bell pepper and cucumbers to the remaining herb mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Heat 2 large nonstick skillets over medium-high heat. Brush the excess marinade off the fish. Working in batches, add the fish to the skillets, skin-side up, and cook until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Flip the fillets, pressing with a spatula to sear the skin, and cook 2 more minutes. Serve with the herb salsa and lemon wedges.

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.

WHOLE BRANZINO ROASTED IN SALT

Steps:

• For fish:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Stir salt and 5 egg whites in large bowl, adding more egg whites as needed to form grainy paste. Press 1/4-inch layer of salt mixture (large enough to hold both fish) onto large rimmed baking sheet. Stuff cavity of each whole fish with half of herb sprigs and lemon slices. Place fish atop salt mixture on baking sheet. Pack remaining salt mixture over fish to enclose completely. Roast until thermometer inserted into thickest part of fish registers 135°F, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare salsa verde:
• Using small sharp knife, remove peel and white pith from lemon. Working over bowl, cut between membranes to release segments. Cut each segment into 3 pieces. Add lemon pieces and next 6 ingredients to bowl.
• Using back of large spoon, gently crack open salt crust on fish. Lift and discard salt layer. Pull skin from top of 1 fish. Carefully lift top fillet from bones and transfer to plate. Lift and discard bones. Gently lift second fillet from skin and transfer to second plate. Repeat with second fish for a total of 4 plates.
• Spoon salsa verde over fish, leaving juices in bowl. Add arugula to bowl; toss to coat. Divide among plates.

SALSA PICANTE

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Place tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil, turning vegetables often and rotating baking sheet frequently, until tomatoes are blistered with dark spots and flesh is tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool. When vegetables are cool enough to handle, peel garlic. Puree garlic, tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, water, vinegar, and salt in a blender until almost smooth. Serve warm or chilled. Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

BRANZINO IN SALSA PICANTE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready a flameproof baking dish or roasting pan large enough to hold the fish in a single layer.
• Rinse the fish well and pat dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper, inside and out. Stuff each fish with half the basil. Rub 1/4 cup of the olive oil into the skin of the fish, and set aside.
• Place the baking dish or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup of the olive oil, the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the chopped chili pepper and bell pepper, and cook for 3 minutes, or until they have softened. Add the wine and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it has reduced by one-third. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes, capers and olives. When the sauce starts to bubble around the edges, remove from direct heat and keep it warm on the stovetop.
• Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Sear the fish for 3 minutes on each side, then transfer to the baking dish and baste with the sauce. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 8 minutes. Uncover and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for about 10 minutes, basting every 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. Transfer the fish and sauce to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.

BRANZINO IN SALSA PICCANTE (MEDITERRANEAN SEA BASS IN SPICY TOMA)

Steps:

• 1 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Have ready a flameproof baking dish or roasting pan large enough to hold the fish in a single layer. 2 Rinse the fish well and pat dry with paper towels. Season lightly with salt and pepper, inside and out. Stuff each fish with half the basil. Rub 1/4 cup of the olive oil into the skin of the fish, and set aside. 3 Place the baking dish or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 3/4 cup of the olive oil, the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the chopped chili pepper and bell pepper, and cook for 3 minutes, or until they have softened. Add the wine and cook for about 5 minutes, or until it has reduced by one-third. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomatoes, capers and olives. When the sauce starts to bubble around the edges, remove from direct heat and keep it warm on the stovetop. 4 Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Sear the fish for 3 minutes on each side, then transfer to the baking dish and baste with the sauce. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 8 minutes. Uncover and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for about 10 minutes, basting every 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through. Transfer the fish and sauce to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.

ANITA'S SALSA PICANTE

Steps:

• Chop in processor on Pulse, slow.
• Chop onion first and tomatoes last.
• Add spices, juice.
• Be careful not to over-process.
• Drain to get excess water out.
• Serve alone with chips or as a condiment.

SALSA PICANTE

Steps:

• Combine tomatoes, chile pepper, garlic, lime juice, and salt in a food processor; process for about 10 seconds. Add cilantro and pulse until it's chopped in small bits.