Description
This Branzino recipe delivers a gourmet-quality whole fish with a lively lemon butter sauce, perfect for a quick and elegant dinner. With minimal ingredients and just 25 minutes total, you'll enjoy flaky, flavorful fish enhanced by fresh herbs, garlic, and lemon.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter Sauce
- 1 stick salted butter (4 oz)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon parsley or chives (freshly chopped)
- Table salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Fish
- 3 whole branzino fish (about 1 ¼ pounds each, scaled and cleaned)
- 1 lemon (thinly sliced)
- Extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling and roasting)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit, placing the rack in the lower middle position for optimal roasting.
- Prepare Butter Sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the salted butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion, sautéing until fragrant and softened but not browned. Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and chopped parsley or chives. Season with table salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Fish: Rinse the branzino fish under cold water and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place thin lemon slices inside the cavity of each fish for additional flavor.
- Roast Fish: Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the fish and lay them on a baking sheet or roasting pan. Place the pan into the preheated oven on the lower middle rack, and roast for about 15 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Serve: Remove the fish from the oven carefully. Drizzle the prepared lemon butter sauce generously over the roasted branzino. Serve immediately, garnished with extra lemon slices or parsley if desired.
Notes
- Ensure the fish is thoroughly dried to achieve a crispy skin when roasted.
- If you prefer milder onion flavor, you can lightly sweat the onions before adding garlic to avoid burning the garlic.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright citrus flavor in the butter sauce.
- Adjust salt and pepper seasoning to your taste preference, especially since the butter is salted.
- This recipe pairs excellently with a simple side of roasted vegetables or a light salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 127 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 82 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22.5 g
- Cholesterol: 27 mg
