🐟 Baked sea bass (branzino al forno)

Name: Baked sea bass (branzino al forno)
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Italy · Mediterranean coast
Ingredients: 2 whole sea bass (about 400 g each), cleaned and scaled; 1 lemon, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, sliced; A few sprigs of rosemary, thyme and parsley; 2 tbsp olive oil; Salt and black pepper

Origin: Italy · Mediterranean coast

345kcal

per serving · 300 g

115kcal

per 100 g

57 gProtein19 g / 100 g

12 gFat4 g / 100 g

2 gCarbs0.5 g / 100 g

Branzino al forno is whole sea bass baked with lemon, garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme and parsley. The flesh comes out white, moist and flaky, scented with citrus and herbs, while the skin turns lightly crisp. It is filleted at the table and served with roasted potatoes or vegetables.

Diets

✓

No pork

✓

Gluten-freeno wheat, barley or rye in a typical recipe

✓

Dairy-freeno milk, cheese, butter or yogurt in a typical recipe

✓

Keto-friendly0.5 g carbs per 100 g

✓

High protein19 g protein per 100 g — 66% of the calories

Not vegetarianbecause of: sea bass

Not veganbecause of: sea bass

Allergens

Contains (in a typical recipe):

⚠ Fish

What it is made of

sea basslemonolive oilherbsgarlic

Recipe

2 servings35 min

Ingredients

2 whole sea bass (about 400 g each), cleaned and scaled
1 lemon, sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
A few sprigs of rosemary, thyme and parsley
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Method

Heat the oven to 200 °C and line a tray with baking paper.
Make 2–3 shallow cuts on each side of the fish, season inside and out with salt and pepper.
Stuff the cavities with lemon slices, garlic and herbs.
Lay the fish on the tray, drizzle with the olive oil and bake for 20–25 minutes until the flesh flakes easily at the thickest part.
Fillet at the table and serve with the juices and extra lemon.

How to make it lighter

Sea bass is lean — keep the oil to 1–2 tbsp for the whole tray (1 tbsp ≈ 120 kcal).
Bake sliced fennel, tomatoes or courgettes on the same tray for a full, light meal.
Squeeze over lemon at the table instead of adding more oil.

History

Sea bass, called branzino in northern Italy and spigola in the south, has long been prized along Italy's coasts. Baking the fish whole with only lemon, herbs and olive oil is a common way of cooking it in Italian homes and trattorie. Today most branzino sold in Mediterranean markets is farmed, which has made it an everyday fish.

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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →