Sometimes you wanna look a little bougie when you're cooking... And depending on the crowd, that can easily be achieved or destroyed when you bring out a whole fish. Consider your audience beforehand.
Don't want to hear me ramble on and on... get just the recipe here!
So, I planned on cooking most of the day, and Michelle requested fish since we have done quite a bit of steak and pork lately. I am glad she at least requested that because I was all over the place on what the heck I wanted to make. After way too much time on the internet, I decided I wanted to do a version of Leche de Tigre (Peruvian marinade) and some sort of fish. The problem was I had no idea what the fish situation at Lazy Acres (my grocery store) was. Fortunately, they always have a fresh and amazing selection... it just varies a lot from day to day unless you want the normal shit every other place has.
So... as I tend to do... I got excited about two different types of fish and doubled my cooking time and my budget in an instant. I would try and make a hot and cold version with this sauce I was gonna make.
I ended up getting a whole branzino and some rockfish for ceviche!
Recipe Supplies:
SUPPLIES FOR THE FISH: (everything but the fish is gonna be a garnish... so you will not need much, plus a lot of it is used in the sauce):
• Whole Branzino (mine was around 1.5 lbs)
• Radish
• Lime
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Red onion
• Some nuts for crunch (I used pistachios... but I think peanuts would work well here)
• Kerrygold Butter
• Salt & Pepper
• Onion & Garlic Powder
SUPPLIES FOR SAUCE:
• Clam Juice (1/2 jar)
• Ginger (7 thin slices)
• Garlic (5 cloves)
• Cilantro (1/2 Bushel)
• Mint (10-15 leaves)
• Basil (optional — I had some kicking around the house)
• Red Onion (1/3)
• Lime (4)
• Habanero Pepper (2.5-3)
• Jalapeño Pepper (1)
• Coconut Milk (1/3)
• Salt (to taste)
• EVOO (couple splashes)
Instructions:
So, I started with the sauce... I knew it was going to take a bit to get the flavors dialed in, and I wanted to roast the peppers, onions, etc... because I do think it really makes a difference in the overall taste.
Cut the jalapeño and habaneros in half and remove the seeds. Thinly slice the ginger. Then, put all the veggies in a cast iron pan and broil in the oven or grill until they cook down a bit to bring out the flavor—about 10 minutes.
Mix the cooked veggies, clam juice, mint, cilantro, coconut milk, lime, salt, and EVOO in a blender. Depending on the size of your blender situation, you could start with half and then do the other half. I find this helpful, too, because you can taste the first half and see which direction your sauce is headed… the peppers are also always the biggest question… you just never know how hot they are gonna be (or not)! You might need to readjust.
Start small with the salt and then season accordingly. You will end up using a fair amount of it to taste all the different components of the sauce. Just taste it a ton!
Once done, leave out to put on the branzino later.
Side Note:
I used about half of this sauce for the branzino and saved the other half for the ceviche I was making. Michelle ended up complaining that she wanted more sauce for the fish... we ended up having some couscous with it and more sauce would have be ideal. I would make the above amount just for the fish in the future. You will have a little extra for any sides you make. Also, we only had one branzino... so this would give you enough for a few fishies if need be.
Branzino:
So, my fish came cleaned and descaled, but I ended up cutting off the little fins (the ones on the chest) with kitchen scissors because I knew they would burn in the oven, and they kinda get in the way of the flesh. I left the top and bottom fins/tail because they were not in the way, and to be honest, I think it looks pretty rad presentation-wise. I mean, come on... it's a whole fucking fish.
Also, cut some slits on the sides so the seasoning can work its way in (and because it makes it look fancy ;).
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pat dry the fish and then use salt and onion/garlic powder to season the cavity of the fish.
Stuff the cavity with a few slices of butter and lime. Then, fill it with red onion and cilantro leaves and stems.
Rub some EVOO on the exterior of the fish and generously season with more salt, onion, and garlic powder.
Grease a baking sheet with EVOO and put the fishy on it. Cook in the oven for about 15 minutes or so (my branzino was around 1.5 lbs). Then, broil for 2-3 minutes. I literally watched mine while it broiled... once all the skin crisped up, I pulled it.
While the fish is cooking, thinly slice red onion and radish. Chop mint, cilantro, and basil (I had some kicking around the house). Dice jalapeño and crush some pistachios.
Garnish the fish with everything and pour a good amount of the sauce on it!
