
Harriet's Black Tie Branzini
Pulling off rustic and elegant at the same time is no easy feat. So, I have to hand it to whole fish, whether it’s roasted, broiled, fried, steamed, or grilled.
Even before I began thinking about the health ramifications of how I ate, I appreciated the appeal of crisp, paper-thin skin giving way to almost creamy, fork-tender white flesh. Not to mention the gorgeous appearance and over-the-top nature of ordering an entire fish — you feel a bit like a king. (Just close your eyes and imagine a coterie of liveried servants waiting in the wings with silver lidded casseroles containing delicacies destined for your palate.) I get hungry just thinking about it.
In fact, the experience of eating whole fish is so satisfying, that I remember the first time I had it: at a Thai restaurant in suburban Maryland sometime in my early teens. The fish had been fried in a wok and topped with a wealth of sweet sauce brimming with coconut, chiles, and ketchup (it sounds shocking, but this American staple is given prime placement in many Asian restaurants).
Since then, I can tick off other blissful whole fish experiences, one being every time I dine at Nick & Toni’s — in Manhattan’s Upper West Side and also on the South Fork of New York’s Long Island. While the Thai whole fish couldn’t be further from health food, the whole fish at Nick & Toni’s would make your doctor proud. It’s roasted in their wood-fired oven with seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs, things like thyme, lemon, fennel, baby potatoes, and baby carrots. Each time, the dish is different, depending on which fish is freshest and which vegetables are in season. Never do I feel deprived when I order this dish, anything but.
For a recent festive dinner, my mother, Harriet (a creative, artful cook of the highest order) prepared whole fish: branzino (a favorite of mine). It was both gorgeous and delicious. She was generous enough to share the recipe. Here it is:
Black Tie Branzini
Makes 10 whole branzini, or about 20 servings
Recipe from Harriet Cheney
1/3-cup pine nuts
Butter
Olive oil
2 medium shallots, chopped (some held in reserve)
3/4 cup chopped sweet onion (some held in reserve)
1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 small orange pepper, chopped
Salt and pepper
About 10 whole lemons (Meyer if available), one juiced and zested, seven sliced very thinly, and the other two juiced
About 1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, divided
10 branzini, filleted and butterflied
Fresh thyme
Fresh rosemary
Garnish: Yellow cherry tomatoes, pitted kalamata olives, and chopped fresh parsley
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook the pine nuts in butter until golden brown. Remove the nuts and carefully wipe out the pan. To the same pan, add olive oil, and sauté shallots, onion, fennel, and celery over a low flame. After about 10 minutes, add chopped yellow and orange peppers and more butter (or oil) if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the lemon juice and zest (from one lemon), then half of the wine, and let it cook off.
3. Rinse the fish. For each fish, lay down three sections of kitchen twine, each about nine inches long, on a cutting board or good work surface. Open each fish and lay it on top of the twine, skin side down. Place three thin slices of lemon on each half of fish. Then spoon three Tablespoons of the filling on top of the lemons. Sprinkle some pine nuts on top. Then finish with a spring of thyme and a snip of fresh rosemary. Fold together and tie up tightly with the twine. Arrange in two very large, greased casserole dishes.
4. In the same pot that held the filling, add butter and sauté some additional shallot and onion. Add the remaining lemon juice and wine (between your sips). Let it cook down to a nice consistency and pour over the fish.
5. Roast for 20 minutes. Then cover for an additional 15 minutes, until the fish is opaque white and flakes with a fork. Garnish with tomatoes, olives, and parsley.