As you can imagine, the Branzino here in the Venice area are plentiful and fresher than fresh...and so much more affordable than in the United States! Branzino is definitely becoming more widely available, at least in Michigan, so if you happen to know of a place that carries really fresh whole branzino (sea bass), I hope you'll give this recipe a try. Branzino is a really mild fish that has an almost sweet flavor to it. It's a great fish for the whole family, even those who might not always love fish. The great part about this recipe is that there is no wasted fish. First, you'll cook the fish, then remove the meat and make a delicious broth with the bones and scraps. If you're a little bit skiddish about working with whole fish, just see if you can get some assistance from the fisherman in the family. I was very glad to have Michael do the cleaning of the fish for me since he is exceptionally thorough and quick and confident. I, on the other hand, don't do such a great job when it comes to that sort of thing. I think I'll keep him around. Not to worry though, I'll walk you through the steps in case this is your first experience with a whole fish. By the end of this post you will know how to select a fresh fish, how to scale and gut a whole Branzino, how to make a fish broth, and of course- how to prepare Risotto with Branzino, which are all great techniques to have some familiarity with.
Preparing this Risotto with Branzino is not difficult, it just takes a little bit of time. Believe me, it is worth the wait. I really didn't know if I would like it very much. I like branzino, but I thought maybe the broth would make the risotto taste too fishy for my taste. Not at all. The trick is to use really fresh fish, and you won't have to worry about the fishiness. The resulting broth has a subtle flavor to it that makes for a wonderful, creamy risotto that is not to be missed. The other nice thing is that one decent sized fish will go a long way when it comes to serving. This recipe serves 4 (large, main course servings), or 6-8 as a starter or side. In my opinion, just toss together a nice salad and serve a good loaf of bread alongside the risotto and you're all set.
Tips for Buying a Fresh Whole Fish~
1. Smell it. Fresh fish do not smell like fish. They should smell like the sea- sort of the smell of briny water. If it smells fishy, it is not fresh and you should not buy it.
2. Look at the eyes. The eyes should be clear and bright, not dull and cloudy. They should also look a little bit bulged.
3. Look at the skin/scales. The surface of the fish should feel firm when pressed, and look shiny, bright, and metallic. If it looks patchy, dull, or discolored, it has seen better days.
4. Check the gills. Gills of a freshly caught fish are bright red and wet-looking, not dark burgundy red or dry or slimy.
...In other words, it should look like it is alive.
How to Scale and Gut a Whole Branzino~
Here is a video that shows how to quickly scale and gut a branzino for cooking whole. In the video, he uses kitchen shears, which may be appealing for those who are not comfortable digging in with a sharp knife. Either way works fine, just do what you're comfortable with.
Risotto with Branzino
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 whole Branzino (Sea Bass), about 18-inches long
- 5 whole black peppercorns
- sea salt
- 1 bay leaf
- Several thyme leaves
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 ⅔ cup Arborio rice
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Scale and clean the Branzino, leaving the fish whole.
- In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of lightly salted water to a simmer. Toss in the peppercorns.
- Add the cleaned whole fish to the pot and simmer until fish has almost cooked through. The meat inside will look white and opaque, and will be slightly firm to the touch.
- Remove the whole fish from the pot of water, but do not empty out the pot. Keep the water simmering over low heat.
- Gently remove the meat from the bones and separate the meat into bite-sized pieces.Cover and set aside.
- Return fish bones and all fish scraps (including head) to the pot of simmering water. Add bay leaf and a few thyme leaves. Bring to a gentle boil and continue cooking until about ⅓ of the liquid has evaporated, making a broth.
- In a wide, heavy-bottomed pot/Dutch Oven, heat 4 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add shallot and saute for a few seconds. Add rice, stirring constantly until lightly toasted.
- Pour in wine and raise heat to medium until wine has evaporated.
- Cook the risotto by adding ladle-fulls of hot fish broth and stirring almost constantly until each addition of broth has absorbed before adding the next ladle-full. (Use the ladle to skim broth from the top of the pot without including any fish bones or bits).
- Continue adding broth and cooking until rice is tender and broth is nearly gone, about 20-30 minutes. Rice should be tender, but not mushy.
- When rice is cooked, remove from heat and gently stir in the pieces of fish meat, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the parsley.
- Serve hot.
Notes
Adapted from La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy by The Italian Academy of Cuisine
Comments
No Comments