Grilled Branzino with Preserved Lemon Sauce
Thomas J. Story
This Mediterranean-inspired dish brings branzino to life with a vibrant preserved lemon sauce and a fresh herb garnish. It’s a restaurant-quality meal that’s surprisingly simple to re-create at home.
This recipe, and others like it, can be found in the article “This West Hollywood Restaurant Will Transport You to the South of France.”
How to Make It
1
Make the sauce: Place the preserved lemon skins, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and salt in a blender or Vitamix. Blend until smooth, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify. Set aside.
2
Prepare the branzino: Lay the butterflied fish on a wire rack, skin-side up, and allow the skin to air-dry for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. This step ensures a perfectly crisp finish when cooked.
3
Grill the fish: Generously coat the flesh side of the branzino with 2 tbsp of preserved lemon sauce. Preheat a grill and brush the grates with oil. Grill the fish skin-side down on a wire rack until the skin is crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined pan and finish cooking in a 365°F oven for another 3 minutes.
4
To plate: Spoon 3 tbsp of preserved lemon sauce onto a hot plate. Sprinkle with a mix of fresh tarragon, chives, oregano, and chervil. Place the fish on top, allowing the herbs to peek out around the edges. Finish with flaky sea salt on the skin and serve with a grilled lemon half for squeezing over the top.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
¾ cup preserved lemon skins (discard the inner flesh)
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp salt
1 ¼ cups olive oil
For the Branzino
1 whole branzino, butterflied and boned (head and tail intact)
2 tbsp preserved lemon sauce (plus extra for plating)
fresh herbs (tarragon, chives, oregano, and chervil)
flaky sea salt, for garnish
1 grilled lemon half, for serving
Directions
1
Make the sauce: Place the preserved lemon skins, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, and salt in a blender or Vitamix. Blend until smooth, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil to emulsify. Set aside.
2
Prepare the branzino: Lay the butterflied fish on a wire rack, skin-side up, and allow the skin to air-dry for 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator. This step ensures a perfectly crisp finish when cooked.
3
Grill the fish: Generously coat the flesh side of the branzino with 2 tbsp of preserved lemon sauce. Preheat a grill and brush the grates with oil. Grill the fish skin-side down on a wire rack until the skin is crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined pan and finish cooking in a 365°F oven for another 3 minutes.
4
To plate: Spoon 3 tbsp of preserved lemon sauce onto a hot plate. Sprinkle with a mix of fresh tarragon, chives, oregano, and chervil. Place the fish on top, allowing the herbs to peek out around the edges. Finish with flaky sea salt on the skin and serve with a grilled lemon half for squeezing over the top.
