Lemon Branzino

A whole sea bass with pearly flesh that flakes easily from the bone. The sharp lemon acidity and olive oil create a short, glossy sauce that coats the fish.

• Prep time: 15 min
• Cook time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Easy
• Calories: 532
• Protein: 49 g
• Carbs: 3 g
• Fat: 35 g

Ingredients

• 2 piece European sea bass ( whole, gutted and scaled )
• 4 piece Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f. ( one sliced, one for juice )
• 4 piece Garlic ( cloves crushed )
• 20 g Flat-leaf parsley ( sprigs )
• 8 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 100 ml Dry white wine
• 4 pinch Fleur de sel
• 2 pinch Black pepper ground
• 2 tbsp Capers ( drained )

Instructions

1. Preparing the sea bass

   Scale and gut the sea bass if not already done. Rinse with clear water and pat dry thoroughly with a cloth. Make three shallow incisions on each side so the heat penetrates evenly.

2. Seasoning and stuffing

   Salt the inside and outside with fleur de sel. Slide two lemon slices, a crushed garlic clove, and a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley into the belly of the fish.

3. Baking

   Place the sea bass in a dish. Drizzle with olive oil, pour the white wine into the bottom of the dish, and add the drained capers. Bake at 200°C. Baste the fish twice with the cooking juices during the 20 minutes of cooking.

4. Finishing and serving

   The fish is cooked when the flesh is opaque and the central bone comes away without resistance. Squeeze the rest of the lemon over the hot fish and add a drizzle of raw olive oil.

Chef's tips

• Don't overcook: as soon as the backbone gives slightly, pull it out; the residual heat will finish the job.
• Use high-quality olive oil; its flavor is the backbone of this simple sauce.

Storage

Eat immediately. Reheated fish loses its pearly texture and becomes dry.