Branzino: The Star of the Sea – Discover Why Chefs Adore This Delicate and Versatile Fish
Branzino (also known as European sea bass) has a mild, sweet flavor that is not overly fishy. This delicate taste makes it a versatile ingredient that can be paired with a wide variety of flavors and cuisines, appealing to a broad range of palates. When pan seared or roasted its skin crisps up to delicious perfection!
ORDER INFO:
2/3 fillets; together weighing ~7-8oz total.
SEAFOOD WATCH RATING:
Branzino is a Best Choice by Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. This is the highest sustainability ranking seafood can earn from this organization. Learn more about sustainability rankings here.
Origin: Turkey
Method of Capture: NA
Wild or Farmed: Sustainably Farmed
Store your seafood in the coldest part of the refrigerator at 32 degrees for up to 3 days.
In the refrigerator we recommend removing the fillets from their packaging and wrapping them carefully in 2 layers of paper towels to absorb any moisture and firm the fish up for cooking and consuming.
If you don’t plan to consume the fish within 3 days, simply place in the freezer.
To thaw: place seafood in the refrigerator overnight.
It's a very good question! In general, there is nothing regulatory that either makes something sushi-grade or not. We use our best judgement from being chefs to now being intimately connected to the seafood industry and also being a huge fan of sushi to determine whether or not something is sushi-grade. Some things help us make our decision.
- One might be how the fish was bled. If a fish is not bled properly, it won't be good for sushi. Not because it isn't fresh, but the blood imparts a flavor that is undesirable for raw seafood.
- Surprisingly, most of the fish used for sushi here is previously frozen for convenience. When served raw, the freezing doesn't affect the texture or flavor of the fish very much. However, we prefer tuna that hasn't been frozen.
- Generally, we will recommend something as sushi-grade if we personally know how long the fish has been out of water, how well it eats raw (some fish will never be sushi-grade, because it doesn't have a nice mouthfeel), and how it's been treated after it was caught.