BRANZINO IN CARTOCCIO – SEA BASS MARINATED IN ORANGE JUICE & COOKED IN PARCHMENT WITH VEGETABLES
We made this the last night of the Advanced Class at Toscana Saporita Cooking School–it was excellent! Perfect example of #healthygourmet Italian cuisine!
This is an especially festive dish, perfect for entertaining, and easy! Start with the freshest fish you can find locally, and construct your little package you will bake the fish and veggies in, and present to your guests at the table. It is ideal for spring and summer, since it is light, and fresh local vegetables are abundant. Buon’ Appetito!
Ingredients:
10 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part only, cleaned and diced
1 potato, peeled and thinly sliced
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 small zucchini, cut into thin rounds
1 carrot, julienned
1 cup white wine
24 Gaeta olive, pitted (or Kalamata)
Capers
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
freshly chopped parsley, as much as you want
fresh thyme
4 thick sea bass fillets, totaling 1 pound marinated for 1 hour in orange juice, extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, salt, pepper and parsley.
Note: You can and should substitute with fresh, locally-caught fish available in your area. For instance, in Florida, I would substitute with grouper, red snapper, or other similar fresh, local fish. Ask your fishmonger.
Marinade for Fish:
2 blood oranges (or regular oranges if you cannot find blood oranges)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Salt and Pepper
Freshly chopped Italian parsley
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a skillet and sauté the leek for 8 minutes over moderate heat, stirring constantly until soft.
- Add the potato, tomatoes, fennel, zucchini, peppers and carrot and wine and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently until the vegetables are almost cooked. Add the wine olives and capers and stir to blend.
- Dust with parsley.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut 4 large, heart shaped pieces of parchment and divide the vegetables mixture among them, spooning it onto one side of each heart only.
- Top with the sea bass fillets, fold over the hearts and roll the edges to seal.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then make a small slit in each of the parchment packages and bake for 3 more minutes.
- Transfer the packages onto individual plates and serve immediately. Serves 4
Chef Sandra Lotti at Toscana Saporita
Chef Chris Covelli showing students how to prepare this at Toscana Saporita
Wrapped like presents–makes a beautiful presentation!
Filleting whole Branzino at Toscana Saporita
Fillets of Branzino ready for the parchment
