This Fennel Crusted Branzino comes from our guest blogger Ambra Torelli from Little Bites of Beauty. Born and raised in Italy and now living in the US, Ambra is passionate about healthy, gluten and dairy free food and living. She has an MA and a PhD in Italian Studies and used to teach Italian Language and Culture at UCF in Orlando, FL. Through her blog, cooking classes and coaching, she has helped thousands of people reach their healthy eating goals.
In Italy, fennel is a widely used vegetable. You find it in soups, shaved raw in salads, or slow cooked and served soft to perfection as a delicious side for a typical Sunday lunch. I also love to shred it and use it to coat baked fish, as it’s a great way to flavor and add vegetables to your protein. When I am in the US, and it’s sometimes hard to find fennels, I like to replace this vegetable for parsnips (fun fact: I try to eat as many as I can when I am in the States, because in Italy they are extremely rare to find).
If you do happen to find fennels, here’s a tip for you: when you remove the stems don’t discard them. Store them in your freezer and use them next time you make a broth or a stock as they’ll give it an amazing flavor. I always share this tip during my live virtual cooking classes (my “Melt-in-your-mouth Fennels” are one of the dishes my students love the most), and people love their fennel-flavored broth!
I love this branzino recipe because it’s extremely simple and it comes out great all the time. Serve it with a fresh salad and you’ll have the perfect “secondo”, Italian style ;)
Check out some of our other Italian recipes below:
Risotto Radicchio and GorgonzolaÂ
Fennel Crusted Branzino (Italian White Fish)
Ingredients
- 2 Fillets of Sea Bass or any white fish (around 1 1/2 pounds total)
- 1 Fennel
- 1/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Himalayan Salt
- 1 sprig Rosemary, finely chopped
- 2-3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 sprigs Fresh Oregano (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Wash the fennels. Remove the stems and shred the fennel cores using a grater. Place the shredded fennel in a bowl and combine it with all the other ingredients.
- Rinse and tap dry the sea bass or white fish fillets, arrange them in an oiled casserole dish and cover them with a generous amount of the shredded fennel mixture.
- Bake your fennel crusted sea bass or white fish for 20 to 25 minutes, sprinkle some fresh oregano on top and enjoy with a side of your favorite vegetables.
Nutrition
About the Author: Ambra Torelli
Where is the nutritional information? I would like to know the calories, etc. per serving. Thank you.