This Lemon Soy Roasted Branzino is a twist on a dish I had with the family at an Italian restaurant in New York City. We dubbed it, quote: "the best non-Chinese fish dish we've ever had." Trust me, that's high praise.
juice and zest of ½ a lemon(plus 1 additional lemon, sliced into 9 rounds)
1tablespoonparsley(chopped, plus more for garnish)
316 oz. whole branzino(scaled, cleaned and gutted)
salt
3sprigsthyme
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, mix the butter with the soy sauce, juice/zest of ½ a lemon, and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.
Season the branzino cavities with salt and stuff 3 lemon rounds and a sprig of thyme into each.
In a large, nonstick, ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the branzino and cook over high heat until the skin is browned and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. You may need to do this in batches. Transfer the fish to a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the butter mixture, season with more salt to taste and roast for 9 minutes. Finish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning.