Mediterranean Branzino, or "Loup de la Mediterranée", in French, is one of Le Chef's favorite fishes and one of my go-to dishes to serve for a special Brunch/Lunch or when we have friends over. Branzino, as it is known in English, has a very delicate taste that pairs beautifully with the zing of a beautifully balanced Vierge Sauce. Juicy cherry tomatoes, rich black olives, basil and pine nuts with a zest of lemon give a Provençal twist to your dish.
You will be amazed at how simple this dish is to put together and how impressive it looks and tastes when you serve it. Add delicious sides like Asparagus with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette , sauteed haricots verts, La salade Mentonnaise (with shaved fennel) or simply decadent mashed potatoes and you have a fabulous French Menu, directly from the Riviera!
What is Mediterranean Branzino or Loup de Mer?
A big name for a small fish in my opinion. Loup de Mer (wolf of the sea...) is known as Branzino in English. A smallish silver fish, the flesh is white and rather mild with a delicate texture.
What to ask for at the Fish Counter:
Ask your fish monger (at your local grocery store or speciality fish shop) to prepare your whole, fresh Branzino as follows:
- fillet (you will get 2 filets per fish which is perfect for one person)
- descale
- remove the bones
Don't be afraid to ask these requests at your fish counter - often they are very happy to do it!
Branzino's delicate flavor is best served with a bright, citrusy sauce. Cream based sauces can be too heavy with Branzino. After you make this recipe you will see why the French love to pair Vierge Sauce with Branzino. It is light and fresh with a tanginess and texture that brings out the best of the fish. If you like olives, tomatoes and basil, this sauce is for you! Just make sure not to cook the Branzino Sauce - it is a vinaigrette style sauce that needs no cooking!
Provençal Sauce is another term used often for la sauce Vierge, or Vierge Sauce. It is technically a vinaigrette or a salsa made of tomatoes, olives, capers, green onion, chives, basil and olive oil. Vierge Sauce is delicious served over grilled fish, chicken or pasta to make a pasta salad.
Equipment Needed for Mediterranean Branzino Filet with Vierge Sauce:
Very simple:
1 mixing bowl ( I love these glass bowls from Duralex)
1 cooking sheet (or two of these sizzling platters that I LOVE - the size is perfect to use every day and stick in the dishwasher)
A long, thin offset spatula for easily removing the filets of Branzino
A zester ( I use my microplane all the time!)
Ingredients for Mediterranean Branzino
For the Branzino:
2 whole Branzino. Ask the fish counter to filet the Branzino and remove the scales. You can choose to leave the skin on or have it removed. I like to leave it on, the skin is tasty and easy to eat.
2 tbsps olive oil
pinch of coarse salt
1 orange for zesting
For the Vierge Sauce:
1 Shallot, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely chopped
¼ cup of chives, finely chopped
1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
⅓ cup of pitted Niçois or Kalamata black olives, halved
2 tbsps of capers (left whole if it is the small kind), if it is the full caper berry, halve or quarter depending the size
½ cup basil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon
Part of a healthy, Mediterranean Diet
Branzino with Vierge Sauce is a delicious dish that adheres to the Mediterranean Diet as defined by the Mayo Clinic. Lean protein, lots of vegetables and healthy fats from the olives and olive oil while being incredibly delicious.
If you enjoy the Mediterranean Diet you might also enjoy my other recipes:
- Ratatouille Soup
- Salade Niçoise
- Magical Leek Soup
- Roasted Plum and Goat Cheese Salad
- Le Chef's Wife Minestrone
- Asparagus with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
- Asparagus Soup
- Potage aux légumes
- French Lentil Soup Recipe
- 5 minute Simple Basil Pesto Recipe
- Soupe au Pistou
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and a comment below. I really appreciate it!
Au plaisir,
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
We were just recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:
Mediterranean Branzino Filet Recipe with Vierge Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Oven baked
- Cuisine: French
Description
Delicate Branzino with a bright vinaigrette of tomatoes, olives and basil give a Provençal twist to your dish. Super simple yet impressive! A delicious Mediterranean Diet dish.
Ingredients
For the Branzino:
- 2 whole Branzino. Ask the fish counter to fillet the Branzino and remove the scales. You can choose to leave the skin on or have it removed. I like to leave it on, the skin is tasty and easy to eat. *if the Branzino are larger you may only need 1 fillet per person
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- pinch of coarse salt
- 1 orange for zesting
For the Vierge Sauce:
- 1 Shallot, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- ¼ cup of chives, finely chopped
- 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- ⅓ cup of pitted Niçois or Kalamata black olives, halved
- 2 tbsps of capers (left whole if it is the small kind), if it is the full caper berry, halve or quarter depending the size
- ½ cup basil, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons roasted pine nuts
- ¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim the edges of your Branzino fillet for a clean presentation using a sharp knife. Make four diagonal incisions in the skin of each fillet.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil on the cooking sheet. Gently place the Branzino Filets next to each other on the sheet, skin side down.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over the top of the filets with a pinch of sea salt.
- Set the cooking sheet on the top rack of the oven. Set timer for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, it is time to make the sauce Vierge.
- Mix the shallot, green onions, chives, cherry tomatoes, olives, capers, basil, pine nuts together in a mixing bowl with the ¾ cup of olive oil.
- Zeste one lemon into the Vierge Sauce. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the sauce using a strainer to avoid lemon seeds getting into your Vierge! Mix and set aside. (Le Chef's note: Vierge sauce is even better made a couple hours in advance, the shallots lose their acidity when resting in the olive oil)
- Once the 10 minutes are up, check on the Branzino. The fish should have an opaque white color. The cooking time may vary given the size of the fish. If the flesh still looks a little rosy in color in the center, set it back in the oven for another 2 minutes, keeping a close eye.
- Once the Branzino is cooked, carefully remove it from the cooking tray with a thin, long, spatula.
- Place 2 filets per person in the center of each plate.
- Top each whole Branzino with a fine dusting of orange zest (it adds a beautiful citrus note to the fish), about ¼ of the orange per filet.
- Spoon ¼ cup of Vierge Sauce over the filets on each plate.
- Serve immediately.
Bon Appétit!
Notes
What to ask for at the Fish counter:
Ask your fish monger (at your local grocery store or speciality fish shop) to prepare your whole, fresh Branzino as follows:
- fillet (you will get 2 filets per fish which is perfect for one person)
- descale
- remove the bones
Don't be afraid to ask these requests at your fish counter - often they are very happy to do it!
What to serve with this dish: Spring Asparagus with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
How else to serve Vierge Sauce
I love to make an extra batch of Vierge Sauce to keep for a couple days in the fridge. Bright and citrusy with a little bit of tang from the shallots, Sauce Vierge is delicious over oven-baked Salmon, Tuna steak or Grilled Chicken breast and is a great base for a tasty vegetarian pasta salad.
Branzino with Vierge Sauce is a delicious dish that adheres to the Mediterranean Diet as defined by the Mayo Clinic. Lean protein, lots of vegetables and healthy fats from the olives and olive oil while being incredibly delicious.
If you are on the Mediterranean Diet you might also enjoy my other recipes:
Lauren says
My entire family loved this recipe. I will definitely be making it again!
Anina Belle Giannini says
Thank you, Lauren, for letting me know!
I love to hear that!
Wishing you a wonderful evening,
Anina Belle
Jg Marothy says
Fantastic. Followed the recipe without substitutions, served with mushroom risotto (IP) and pan seared brocolli. Paired with a delicious Muscadet. Made for a wonderful date night at our favorite venue--home!
Suzanne says
This sauce could be my next go -to as a fish topper....but I never have pine nuts on hand. Is there a substitute?
lechefswife says
Vierge Sauce is our go-to too! I love it on everything! Pine nuts add a delicious flavor to dish but you can also use sliver of almonds or just remove the nuts completely. Let me know how this works out. Thank you so much for your comment!