Whole Roasted Branzino with Herby Salad

While it’s tempting to stick to filets when you’re craving fish, don’t sleep on cooking it whole. The bones can help to avoid a dry, unappetizing final result by adding moisture, flavour and additional protection from the heat. That’s why we’ve chosen to pan-roast a whole branzino (the Italian name for sea bass), topped with a fresh salad. Found off the coast of western and southern Europe, branzino is sweet and mild and crisps up nicely in the oven in under 20 minutes – perfect for when you’re short on time but don’t want to skimp on flavour.

We stuff our branzino with lemons and herbs to add a burst of bright, citrusy flavour before putting it in a roasting pan with squash and peppers. A salad of roasted veggies with shaved spring onions, fennel, radish, parsley, dill and tarragon, all placed on top of the fish is the finishing touch. Tender and tasty, this branzino dish is almost too pretty to eat.

Difficulty

Servings

Fish for two

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

15 to 20 minutes

Whole Roasted Branzino with Herby Salad

Note

We tested this recipe using our new roasting pan, made from stainless steel and designed to withstand the temperatures of an Ooni, but it also works just as well in home ovens. If using a different pan, just ensure it can withstand max temps of 750 °F (400 °C). When using charcoal, we recommend choosing high-quality and food-grade charcoal. If you can’t find branzino, use red snapper, mahi-mahi and grouper.



Two hands tying kitchen twine round uncooked sea bass stuffed with lemon rings and herbs on a wooden cutting board on a table. One hand placing squash, peppers, shaved spring onions, fennel, radish, parsley, dill and tarragon on a whole roasted sea bass in a dish on a table.

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