Description
This Greek-Style Roasted Branzino recipe offers a simple yet flavorful way to enjoy fresh whole fish roasted to perfection. Enhanced with a bright ladolemono sauce, fresh dill, cherry tomatoes, lemon, and red onion, this dish delivers Mediterranean freshness and a deliciously charred skin. Perfect for a quick and elegant dinner, this recipe showcases traditional Greek flavors with minimal fuss.
Ingredients
Fish and Vegetables
- 1 pound whole branzino fish, cleaned, head and tail attached (or whole striped bass, black sea bass, flounder, red snapper)
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ lemon, sliced into rounds
- ½ red onion, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill
- Extra virgin olive oil, for rubbing and drizzling
Ladolemono Sauce
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Adjust a rack in the center of your oven and heat it to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting the fish.
- Prepare the Fish: Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make two diagonal slits on both sides of the fish. Season the fish generously with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides, rubbing some seasoning into the slits and inside the cavity.
- Stuff the Fish: Insert the sliced red onion and lemon rounds into the cavity of the fish to infuse flavor during roasting.
- Roast the Fish: Place the fish on a baking sheet and roast on the center rack for 5 minutes on one side. Carefully turn the fish over and roast for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
- Char the Skin: Turn on the broiler and move the fish about 6 inches from the heat source. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is nicely charred and crispy.
- Prepare Ladolemono Sauce: While the fish cooks, whisk together fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper to make the traditional Greek ladolemono sauce.
- Plate and Serve: Remove the fish from the oven and transfer it carefully to a serving platter. Drizzle generously with the ladolemono sauce, including inside the fish cavity. Toss the halved cherry tomatoes with a pinch of salt, scatter them over the fish, and drizzle more sauce if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh dill and serve immediately for a vibrant and aromatic meal.
Notes
- For even cooking, make sure your fish is as fresh as possible and patted completely dry.
- If you don’t have branzino, other whole white fish like sea bass or snapper work well.
- Ladolemono sauce can be adjusted to taste by balancing lemon juice and olive oil.
- Use a fish spatula to carefully turn the fish mid-roast to avoid breaking the flesh.
- To make prep easier, you can prepare the ladolemono sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- Serve with crusty bread or a Greek salad to complete the meal.
