Potato-Crusted Branzino

Potato crusted Branzino is a show-stopping dish that is as impressive as it is delicious. Drawing inspiration from the iconic recipe "Le rouget en écailles de pommes de terre" by the legendary Paul Bocuse, this dish features a crispy potato crust that adds a delightful crunch to the tender Branzino fillet. Branzino, also known as Loup de Mer or "the wolf of the sea," is a versatile fish with a mild flavor profile that makes it a crowd-pleaser. Whether you prefer to enjoy it off the bone or filleted, Branzino is easy to handle and a great option for both experienced seafood lovers and newcomers alike. To recreate this gourmet dish at home, you can descale and fillet the fish yourself or simply ask your fishmonger for assistance. The key ingredients for this recipe include fresh Branzino, potatoes, and a touch of creativity to elevate the flavors to a whole new level. Stay tuned for my upcoming video where I will guide you through the steps to create this mouthwatering Potato crusted Branzino dish that will surely impress your friends and family. Get ready to embark on a culinary journey that blends tradition with innovation in every bite.

Please note that the full access to this content needs a subscription: please sign up.

Classy

This recipe is a protected and only available for paid members. To obtain the full step by step recipe and detailed ingredients list, please sign up.

Preview the recipe

Fish Filets

Purchased fresh fish should not be kept in their original packaging. Arrange fish over a frozen baking tray lined with parchment and cover with plastic film. Keep fish in the refrigerator with ice packs underneath or a light bag of ice on top. Store for up to 48 hours.

Clarified Butter/Ghee

Clarified butter can be made long in advance. To make clarified butter, place butter in a saucepan over gentle heat, do not stir the butter while it is melting. Turn the heat off. Or, microwave it for a min or so (covered). Let it sit for 15 minutes or so until milk solids ''petit lait'' have sunk to the bottom. Carefully pour butter fat to another container; discard liquid. Or, place melted butter in the refrigerator until fat solidifies, which takes a few hours. Take the chilled butter fat out and discard milk solids. As the milk solids have been removed, ghee doesn't go rancid as rapidly as ordinary butter does, so refrigeration is not so essential. However, it will extend its life.

Butter-Starch Mixture

Melt clarified butter and mix with corn starch. Butter-starch mixture can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for awhile – slightly rewarm prior to use.

Potato Scales

To get perfectly calibrated potato scales, use a quarter coin as a guide. With a mandoline, cut potatoes into 2 mm thick max slices (do not make scales too thick) and cut into an inch/2.5 cm diameter rounds (protect your hand using a cut-resistant glove). Save scraps and soak them in water for up to 3 days. Drain, pat dry and fry!. Place potato scales in a saucepan, cover with tap water – bring to a light boil and turn the heat off. Skim off foam and drain. Spread hot potato scales over a tray lined with paper towels.
First brush fish filet with butter-starch mixture and toss potatoes in butter mixture. Arrange the potato slices over the filet (starting with 4 from the top) in overlapping rows so that they look like fish scales.
Repeat with remaining filets and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Beurre Blanc

Beurre Blanc (white butter) is a classic butter sauce that is both creamy and tangy—perfect for drizzling over fish, poached eggs, or vegetables. The original recipe does not contain any cream. However, cream is often added as a stabilizer to the sauce. In a small saucepan add wine, vinegar, shallots, herbs and peppercorns. Cook until the liquid is almost completely reduced. Add heavy cream, bring to the boil and reduce by two-third. Pass through a sieve and put creamy mixture back in the saucepan. Throw in the pieces of butter, a few at a time, whisking constantly over low heat. Season with salt and white pepper. Beurre blanc must not boil or it will separate. If it happens, use a separate saucepan and reduce 70g heavy cream to two-third. Set heat to low and pour back beurre blanc sauce on thin stream whisking rapidly. Keep sauce warm until ready to serve or quickly rewarm over the stove prior to serve.

Fried Leek

Since leeks grow in the dirt they are often full of hidden soil that is most likely stuck around and inside the greener sections of the leek. Cut off the root end and remove the first outer leave. Cut off end of the leek dark leaves and discard. Locate the intersection of the light green stem and dark leaves and make a cut. Use light green stem for the fried leek and save what's left for stocks. Divide light green stem into 4.5-inch/12cm logs and halve. Superimpose a few leek leaves and cut into angel hair. Let soak in ice water for 10 mins, drain and pat dry. Fry in clarified butter or high smoke point oil for 5 mins until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper while still hot; set aside.

Cooking Fish Filets

Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon/15g of clarified butter. Season potato scales with salt and gently lay filet in the pan, potato side down – season flesh with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 mins or until the flesh turns almost completely opaque. Lower the heat and add a tablespoon of cold butter, fresh thyme or rosemary and a couple of crushed garlic cloves.
Baste fish for 2 mins, turn off the heat and flip the fish and let sit for a min or so, continue to baste with brown butter. Remove fish immediately and lay over paper towels for a quick drain.

Plating

Coat lemon wedges in chopped parsley. Plate out warm beurre blanc first and top with pan-seared potato crusted fish filet. Garnish with some fried leeks and a lemon wedge. Bon appétit!