Grilled Branzino
I am a huge fan of using herbs to season food. It is a great way to change up recipes without adding extra calories to a dish. I use to have a cupboard full of little glass jars full of delicious herbs. Then a year later, I would still have those little glass jars full of herbs minus a few tablespoons here and there. They had lost the flavor and aroma and I would toss them away. Such a waste.
I have been using fresh herbs for as long as I can remember. I always have a glass jar full of fresh Italian parsley sitting on the counter. Not only is it a great garnish; but, it is the forgotten herb for seasoning dishes. As well you will always find the basics lurking in a jar in the fridge. Oregano, thyme, basil, chives, dill and mint. They are great tossed with a big bowl of steamy hot pasta, or thrown in with scrambled eggs. I love mixing some fresh oregano with greens for a big salad. Mint makes a wonderful tea as well it is beautiful mixed with a pitcher of ice water. So many options.
One of my favorite ways of cooking with fresh herbs, is to stuff a whole fish with them. This method works well with any fish you can buy whole; salmon, trout, snapper, etc…. The seasoning options are endless. For fresh caught salmon, I like to stuff it with fresh basil, red onions and lemons. Snapper is lovely stuffed with limes, cilantro and Serrano peppers. Branzino a Greek fish is one of our favorites.
Branzino is an European sea bass, that is found in many Greek and Italian dishes. They range in size from one pound up to three pounds and the texture is firm with few bones. The spine is rather thick and the fish cooks up perfectly when grilled whole. Branzino has a delicate and mild taste, and is low in fat. Normally, the market only sells them whole, which makes this recipe perfect for stuffing and grilling. Before grilling the fish, I stuff it, generously with fresh oregano and lemon slices. It grills up moist and flavorful. Perfect for a hot summer night of eating lightly.
Denise believes anything can be made at home as long as you have a little patience, and time. All of her recipes are made using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her recipes have been featured on Eat Boutique, the Mushroom Channel, Saveur.com, Foodies of the World, PBS and Fine Cooking.
She, also creates the recipes on the popular food blog Chez Us. Saveur has featured Chez Us as one of 50 Food Blogs You Should Be Reading as well as one of the Sites They Love. Be sure to read more about what they are cooking up over at Chez Us.
