Lunch

Pan-Seared Branzino en Papillote with Preserved Lemon, Green Olive Tapenade & Saffron Velouté

Name: Pan-Seared Branzino en Papillote with Preserved Lemon, Green Olive Tapenade & Saffron Velouté
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 whole branzino (800–900g each), cleaned and gutted; 6 preserved lemon quarters, rinsed and thinly sliced; 150g pitted green olives (Castelvetrano or Manzanillo); 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 75ml dry white wine; 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon saffron threads; 120ml fish or vegetable stock; 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed; 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped; 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped; Juice of 1 lemon; Fleur de sel and cracked black pepper; 2 bay leaves

A showstopping Mediterranean centerpiece: a whole branzino sealed in parchment steams in its own aromatics—white wine, fennel, preserved lemon—while the exterior skin gets a quick sear for textural contrast. It arrives at the table in a fragrant parchment parcel, to be opened tableside. The silky saffron sauce and green olive tapenade are made separately and spooned around after plating, adding layers of briny, floral complexity.

1154cal per serving 145gprotein 16gcarbs 52gfat 20min prep 35min 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