Pan-Seared Wild Branzino with...Pan-Seared Wild Branzino with Saffron-Fennel Fumet and Olive-Caper Emulsion

Crisp-skinned wild Mediterranean sea bass served over a delicate, saffron-perfumed fennel broth, accented with charred baby artichokes and a rich black olive emulsion.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To prepare the saffron-fennel fumet, heat 15ml of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced fennel and sweat until translucent, about 5 minutes without coloring.

2. 02

   Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping any bits from the bottom, and reduce by half. Add the fish stock and saffron threads. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois, pressing on the solids to extract all flavor. Season with salt and keep warm.

3. 03

   For the olive-caper emulsion, place the Kalamata olives, capers, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 30ml of olive oil in a high-speed blender. Purée until completely smooth and emulsified. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.

4. 04

   In a medium skillet, heat 15ml of olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat the halved baby artichokes dry. Sear them cut-side down with the smashed garlic clove and thyme sprigs until beautifully caramelized, about 4 minutes. Turn over, add 50ml of water, cover, and cook until tender, about 4 more minutes. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt.

5. 05

   Score the skin of the branzino fillets lightly in a crosshatch pattern. Pat the skin extremely dry and season both sides with salt. Heat the remaining 20ml of olive oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat. Place the fish skin-side down, pressing gently with a spatula for 30 seconds to prevent curling. Lower heat to medium and sear for 4 minutes until the skin is ultra-crisp. Flip and kiss the flesh side in the pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Drain on paper towels.

6. 06

   To plate, ladle a shallow pool of the warm saffron-fennel fumet into the center of two wide, shallow bowls. Arrange two halves of the charred artichokes in the center of each bowl. Rest the crispy-skinned branzino fillet on top. Dot the olive-caper emulsion elegantly around the plate. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve immediately.