Fish

Branzino

S tier

Branzino is the Italian market name that conquered English-language menus for European sea bass—almost always a whole fish of plate size, silver and elegant, served simply. The word promises Mediterranean treatment: grilled or roasted on the bone, finished with oil, parsley, and lemon, sometimes deboned tableside. Flesh is tender and mild with a faint sweetness that rewards restraint rather than thick batter or aggressive spice. Buy bright-eyed whole fish with tight scales and a clean sea smell; ask for gutted and scaled if you prefer less work at home. Score both sides lightly, stuff the cavity with herbs, and cook until the dorsal flesh just pulls from the bone. Farmed Adriatic and Greek branzino dominate US and UK lists; wild Italian fish appear seasonally at higher price and firmer bite.