Dinner

Pan-Seared Branzino with Escabeche (Pickled Vegetable Sauce) and Charred Lime

Name: Pan-Seared Branzino with Escabeche (Pickled Vegetable Sauce) and Charred Lime
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 whole branzino (10–12 oz each, gutted and scaled), or 4 branzino fillets (5–6 oz each); kosher salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 2 limes, halved; For the Escabeche:; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 red onion, thinly sliced; 2 medium carrots, cut into thin batons; 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips; 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; ⅓ cup aged sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar; 2 tablespoons water; 1 bay leaf; 6 green Castelvetrano olives, pitted and halved; ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves; fleur de sel for finishing

A whole side of branzino—or thick fillets—emerges from the pan with burnished, crackling skin and translucent, tender flesh. It sits in a warm escabeche of quickly pickled carrots, bell peppers, and onions that have been softened in olive oil with vinegar and a whisper of cumin, creating a Spanish-leaning dish full of acidic brightness and vegetable sweetness.

1240calper serving 163gprotein 25gcarbs 52gfat 15min prep 25min cook 2serves

✓ Macros from a nutrition database · per serving · developed by The Delicious Kitchen with AI assistance, not independently kitchen-tested · how we calculate this