Author Notes
I LOVE lemon no matter how you squeeze it [sorry, I couldn't resist] so I am always looking for new ways to incorporate lemon flavors into my food. My husband and I recently had lunch at a Greek restaurant on our way to the fish market. I had a wonderful bowl of avgolemono soup for the first time in a while and I decided to recreate those flavors as a sauce. I highly recommend that you serve this with Israeli Couscous with Roasted Lemons and Capers [see my recipes]. Also, this recipe can be doubled or tripled easily. You won't need to increase the sauce though as it should make enough for 3 Branzino. —melissav
Ingredients
- Branzino
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1
Whole Branzino (1.5-2lbs), gutted and scalled
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2 tablespoons
olive oil
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2
Lemons, zest only (juice reserved for the sauce)
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1 tablespoon
chopped dill
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1 tablespoon
chopped parsley
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1.5 teaspoons
kosher salt
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pepper
- Avgolemono Sauce
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1
egg
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2-3 tablespoons
lemon (I use 3 but if you prefer a more mellow lemon flavor, go with 2)
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1.5 tablespoons
flour
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1/2 cup
Chicken Broth
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1 teaspoon
chopped dill
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1 teaspoon
chopped parsley
-
salt
Directions
- Branzino
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Place the fish in a non-reactive dish.
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Mix the olive oil, zest, dill, and parsley and smear it all over the fish - both the outside and inside. Thoroughly sprinkle the inside and outside with the salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 8 hours. Remove from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking.
-
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
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Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the fish and sear on each side about 3 minutes until golden and crunchy. [Note - really make sure you let the fish sit without moving it for about 3 minutes to ensure a crunchy crust. The skin is addictive - if you could make bacon with fish, this would be it!]
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Transfer the skillet to the oven for approximately 10 minutes until fish is cooked through.
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Serve, keeping the skin side up so it doesn't get soggy. Drizzle with the sauce.
- Avgolemono Sauce
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Whisk the egg and then whisk in the lemon juice.
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Mix the flour and about 1.5 TB of the chicken broth in a small bowl to create a slurry. Add to the egg and lemon mixture.
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Heat the remaining broth and slowly whisk into the egg and lemon mixture. Make sure you go slow as you don't want to cook the eggs.
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Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat, whisking, to thicken the sauce about 5-10 minutes. Keep it at a stage where it is just barely at a simmer but continue to slowly whisk. It should thicken up nicely.
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Remove from heat and add the dill and parsley. Season to taste with salt.
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