Pan-Roasted Mediterranean Branzino with...Pan-Roasted Mediterranean Branzino with Saffron-Fennel Emulsion & Crispy Socca

A refined Michelin-star calibre dish featuring pan-roasted wild branzino over a velvety saffron-infused fennel emulsion, finished with crispy chickpea socca shards, blistered tomatoes, and a sharp olive-caper tapenade.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   In a bowl, whisk the chickpea flour, warm water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

2. 02

   To make the socca shards, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a splash of olive oil. Pour in the chickpea batter to form a thin crepe. Cook for 3 minutes until the edges are golden, flip, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove, cool, and break into rustic, crispy shards.

3. 03

   For the emulsion, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Sauté the shallot, garlic, and sliced fennel until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Pour in the white wine and add saffron threads, simmering until the liquid reduces by half.

4. 04

   Add the fish stock to the fennel mixture and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Transfer the contents to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois back into the pan, then whisk in the cold cubed butter off the heat to create a glossy emulsion. Season with sea salt to taste.

5. 05

   Quickly blister the cherry tomatoes in a hot pan with a splash of olive oil until they are just softened. In a small bowl, mix the chopped olives and capers with a touch of olive oil to form a simple tapenade.

6. 06

   Pat the branzino skin completely dry and score it lightly in a cross-hatch pattern. Season both sides with salt. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Place the fish skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Sear for 3-4 minutes until the skin is exceptionally crispy, flip, and kiss the flesh side for 1 final minute.

7. 07

   To plate, ladle a generous pool of the warm saffron-fennel emulsion onto the center of each plate. Place the branzino fillet, skin-side up, on top of the emulsion. Artfully arrange the blistered tomatoes, crispy socca shards, and spoonfuls of the olive-caper tapenade around the plate. Garnish with fresh dill, chervil, and reserved fennel fronds.