Grilled Branzino with Lemon and Fresh Herbs
Simply grilled branzino fish, also known as sea bass, is stuffed with lemon slices, lots of fresh herbs and served along side a bright and lemony citrus oil.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1150kcal
Ingredients
- 2 whole branzino about 1 ½ pounds each
- 1 lemon cut in half, other half saved for grilling
- Few sprigs of fresh herbs parsley, cilantro, thyme or basil
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
Herb Olive Oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ lemon zested and juiced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, basil or cilantro thick stems removed and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Ask your fish monger to clean the branzino well, to de-scale it and de-gut.
- Preheat an outdoor or indoor grill to high and pat the outside of the fish dry well with paper towels.
- Season the inside of the fish cavity with salt and pepper and stuff with 2-3 lemon slices and a few sprigs of herbs. You can cut the lemon slices in half if they are large.
- Liberally brush olive oil all over the outside of the whole fish and place the stuffed sea bass onto the hot grill. Cook the fish for 5-7 minutes on the first side until skin is charred, then carefully flip over and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until fish looks opaque.
- Once done, transfer the whole fish to a platter. While the fish rests, grill the other lemon half until lightly charred.
- To make herb olive oil, add the finely chop fresh herbs to a bowl along with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and taste for seasoning.
- To serve, lay the fish on it's back and remove the aromatics from the cavity. Use a fork to gently open the fish, exposing the fillets and remove the spine, which should come off easily. Use a pairing knife to remove the head and tail as well.
- Drizzle the citrus oil over fish filets and finish with a squeeze of grilled lemon juice on top.
Video
Notes
- When buying whole fish, the fish should smell fresh without any "fishy" odor and the eyes should be clear and not cloudy.
- If the herbs and citrus is pocking out, you can secure the fish with toothpicks to keep the aromatics inside.
- Liberally brush oil onto the outside of the fish to ensure the fish doesn't stick to the grill.
- Heat the grill to high, which also helps the gish not stick to the grill. But it some of the fish skil sticks, that's perfectly fine.
- Thicker whole fish may need an extra 2-3 minutes of cooking, so keep an eye on the fish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1branzino | Calories: 1150kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 161g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 720mg | Sodium: 624mg | Potassium: 2490mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 71.5mg | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 8.5mg