Crispy Branzino

Trying to show off a bit…..with as little effort as possible….Crispy Branzino!!!! The key to this is VERY fresh fish. Make friends with your local fish market for several reasons. One, shop local! Two, they typically have less travel time from the catch to your kitchen!

There are a few secrets to REALLY fresh fish. The first is fairly obvious, make sure it doesn’t smell too fishy. Second, make sure the eyes are NOT cloudy, clear eyes mean it's very fresh.

Okie so you’ve made a new friend, the fish market should be able to tell you when they get shipments so make sure your Crispy Branzino dinner is planned for that night. THIS 👏NEEDS👏TO👏BE👏FRESH. Ask them to clean, gut and de-scale the fish. That way it’s ready to go. Hard part over!

Here’s What Else You'll Need:

• Branzino - roughly 1lb fish per person

• Bacon Fat/Lard - 4 TBSP

• Minced Garlic - 1 TBSP

• Rosemary - 1 large sprig

• Lemon - 1 Large, thin sliced

• Onion - Half, thin

• Salt and Garlic Powder, few shakes here and there

With your clean fish, give it a quick rinse in the sink to remove any extra yuckies, open the cavity and season with salt and garlic powder then stuff with thin sliced lemon and onion. Add salt and garlic to the outside of the fish too and you’re ready.

Next trick, in a large, dry skillet (needs to be large enough for the fish to lay completely flat) you need to get this HOT. That’s the trick to the cripsy skin. Once the pan has been heated nicely, place the fish in the skillet….mmmmm that sizzle. It just takes about 4-5 mintues on each side to crisp the fish.

Now the fancy party. Add in 4 TBSP of bacon fat/lard, minched garlic, rosemary and a few shakes of salt. Melt the mixture and make sure it's nice and bubbly. Tilt the pan slightly so the melted mixture rolls to one side and start spooning it over the fish, this technique is called arroser. The hot oil will continue to crispy the fish and add lots of yummy flavor. Do this for a few mintues to infuse the flavor, then you’re done!

Serve with your favorite sides and you’ll have everyone raving, just watch for the bones.

Enjoy!!