We enjoy seafood regularly and, when we’re in Florida, we try to eat it at least three times a week because fresh seafood is harder to find back home in Umbria. One of my husband’s favorite fish is branzino; he especially likes it roasted whole, either encased in a salt crust or simply stuffed with herbs and roasted.

On a recent visit to our local Whole Foods Market I found two small branzino and decided to roast them whole, serving them alongside roasted fingerling potatoes and asparagus. For a bright finishing touch, I prepared a zesty salsa verde made from parsley, garlic, capers, lemon, and a touch of chili pepper to drizzle over the cooked fish. The fish roasted up moist and tender, and the green sauce added a lively, piquant accent. If branzino (European sea bass) isn’t available, a fresh snapper or another firm white fish will work well.

Buon Appetito!
Deborah Mele

Roasted Whole Fish With Green Sauce

Yield:
Serves 4

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

Total Time:
30 minutes

Roasting fish whole in the oven helps keep the flesh tender and moist while building flavor from the aromatics stuffed in the cavity.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves
1 bunch scallions, green parts chopped; reserve about 3 inches of the white section to stuff the fish
2 fresh chili peppers (jalapeño or similar)
1/4 cup salt-cured capers, rinsed and chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3 lemons
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarse black pepper
4 whole small fish (about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds each), scaled and gutted

Instructions

Coarsely chop about 1 cup of parsley leaves with the garlic. Combine in a bowl with the chopped green onion tops and the chopped capers.
Seed one of the chilis if you prefer less heat, then mince it finely and add to the bowl.
Zest one lemon into the bowl, then squeeze its juice in as well.
Add the olive oil and a generous crack of black pepper. Stir well and let the sauce rest briefly for the flavors to meld.
Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with olive oil.
Rub the fish exterior with a little olive oil and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Thinly slice two lemons and place the slices inside the cavities of each fish.
Slice the remaining chili and add it on top of the lemon slices, then stuff the cavity with the parsley and reserved white scallion pieces.
Bake the fish until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on size.
Serve the fish whole with the green sauce on the side, or remove fillets and spoon the sauce over each portion.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 552Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 7260mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 58g

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