Pan Roasted Branzino

Hello Fellow Foodies! I'm back! So my husband loves fish and since we met, although I did not grow up eating a lot of fish, I have tried to expand my knowledge of it and ways to cook it.  Recently, I tried pan roasting for the first time (now that I have armed myself with some great high heat resistant pans) and it was an absolute success!  He actually said that it was the best fish I have ever made.  So I'm sharing my success with you. Enjoy and let me know what you think! 

EAT GOOD FOOD, LIVE A GOOD LIFE!
-Poetic Cook

INGREDIENTS:
·         2 Whole Branzino (1.5-2lbs), gutted and scaled (I prefer head on but feel free to remove)
·         4 tablespoons olive oil
·         Lemon, zest only
·         2 tablespoons chopped dill
·         2 tablespoons chopped parsley
·         sea salt
·         kosher salt
·         pepper
·         canola oil
·         lemon wedges (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Place the fish in a non-reactive dish.

2.       Lightly sprinkle fish, both inside and out with kosher salt and pepper.

3.       Mix the olive oil, zest, dill, and parsley, a dash of sea salt and pepper and smear it all over the fish - both the outside and inside. Thoroughly sprinkle the inside and outside with more of the kosher salt and pepper. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour and up to 8 hours. Remove from refrigerator at least 20 minutes before cooking.

4.       Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

5.       Heat the canola oil in a large, oven-proof skillet or roasting pan large enough to hold the fish over medium heat until almost smoking (or use multiple skillets), ensure that the entire surface of the skillet is coated in oil to avoid sticking. Lay the fish carefully in to the skillet, and cook for a minute. Flip the fish to the other side and cook for one minute.

6.       After one minute, and fish is nicely browned, Spoon some of the oil over to top of the fish to coat it, then transfer the pan(s) to the oven. NOTE: Discard any extra oil before putting in the oven for roasting.

7.       Roast the fish for about 10-12 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve immediately. You may want to squeeze some fresh lemon over it upon serving.