Agent Provocateur ([info]daera23) wrote,
@ 2008-06-01 14:09:00
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Current mood: curious
Entry tags:adventures in cooking

Egads
Fresh Direct accidentally gifted me with a branzino. A whole fish.

Um, I've never cooked fish before, let alone a whole fish. I'm both mortified and intrigued.


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[info]rhienelleth
2008-06-01 07:19 pm UTC (link)
Oh, awesome! No, really. Its easy to cook, and super tasty! How big is this fish? I will give you easy to follow instructions, if you like. :) Is it at least all cleaned out?

Branzino is a mediterranean sea bass, by the by. I think it's a smaller fish, and thus often easier to cook whole than filleted. We used to cook the kokanee my Dad and I caught whole, because it was smaller and easier to cook moist whole.

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[info]daera23
2008-06-01 09:09 pm UTC (link)
it's not very big - .85 lb according to the packing. It also says whole head/tail on; hand cut. I haven't unwrapped it from the butcher paper yet, because I am in a studio and want to minimize smell. that's a big part of the reason I have not yet ventured into fish

recipes and tips are very welcome. I've been perusing cooking sites and it does seem like it will be easier to cook whole.

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[info]nm973
2008-06-01 10:11 pm UTC (link)
What fun! I grew up eating baked trout, which is a similar size and so easy. Clean off the fish - almost rinsing it with cold water and then using paper towels to dry it. There are many things you can do, but an easy one is to put it in a pan and cover the fish with sliced lemons. Sprinkle salt and pepper and cook in 350 for maybe 30 minutes. ETA: You should probably so salt and pepper before putting on the lemon slices. I have nothing more specific, so you're better off looking at recipes, but I like my fish really simple: baked with lemon juice. Spinach sauteed with garlic is always good on the side.

If you happen to have a box of kosher salt, you could follow this recipe for salt-roasted branzino.

Good luck!

Edited at 2008-06-01 10:12 pm UTC

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[info]daera23
2008-06-03 03:27 am UTC (link)
hi! thanks for the advice. a found a recipe similar to what yous said. I bought some green beans to go with, but totally agree I should have gone with spinach

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[info]chele74
2008-06-02 03:35 am UTC (link)
I'd be very afraid. ;)

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[info]daera23
2008-06-03 03:28 am UTC (link)
oh stop.

I officially have a minion! squee!

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[info]chele74
2008-06-03 04:19 am UTC (link)
OMG. Really? You must be so happy!

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FreshDirect to the Rescue!
[info]yvesfd
2008-06-02 03:51 pm UTC (link)
Hi!

My name is Yves and I work at FreshDirect, your blog entry caught our attention, and after talking with our resident chef I got for you an easy way to prepare whole fish in general.

It is super yummy and simple! Don’t be afraid of the high heat. It’s the only way to roast and caramelize the skin.

Preheat oven at 400 degrees
Slice ½ of a lemon into wedges, seeds removed
Rinse the fish and pat it dry (inside and out)
Season it generously with salt and pepper (inside and out)
Pour a little olive oil in a non-stick, oven-proof (even though they are rubber, the handles of MOST non-stick pans are oven-proof - just make sure they are not plastic!) skillet.
Once the oil begins to smoke slightly, gently lower the whole fish into the pan.
When the pan-facing side of the fish is brown, gently flip the fish over. Squeeze desired amount of lemon juice into the pan.
Place the whole thing (pan and all) in the hot oven, crispy side up. You could at this point throw in a nob of butter and a scattering of capers if you want.
Cook for about 7 minutes, until the meat comes easily away from the backbone.
Hit the fish with more lemon if desired. Serve with garlic-steamed greens and boiled new potatoes (which have been run through the pan you cooked the fish in!)

You can also take a look at our recipes section for more ways of preparing your fish; you can search recipes by theme, cuisine, cookbooks and main ingredients! Our chef actually recommended the Pan-Fried Trout with Sage and Almonds recipe; it could be a great way to use the fish you got from us, if you still haven’t cooked it…

Thank you for being a valued customer and Bon Appetit!
Yves

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