In the Venetian lagoon, branzino has always meant something: delicate, a little expensive, the kind of thing you don’t buy on an ordinary day at the market, and rarely absent from a celebration. At weddings it arrives plated individually, neat and finished, often with a sauce and roasted potatoes on the side. At the more relaxed occasions, the anniversaries, baptisms and milestone birthdays, it comes differently: whole fish on large platters in the centre of the table, everyone reaching in, the Mediterranean flavours of olives, capers and cherry tomatoes alongside. We both grew up at both kinds of table.
For Agnes, one sea bass in particular has stayed with her. Her uncle and aunt’s 50th wedding anniversary, the whole family boarding a large boat at a rowing club in Malcontenta and sailing up through the lagoon to Torcello for lunch. She remembers the heat of that day, the long table, the meal that kept coming, course after course, more than anyone could count. And above everything else, she remembers the moment the largest seabass she had ever seen arrived in the middle of the table, alongside roasted potatoes, grilled vegetables and polenta.
But that was years ago, and the memory had been fading. Until Agnes’s brother picked up fishing again recently, and last summer he pulled in a remarkably large branzino on a Thursday, the kind you almost cannot believe came from where he was standing. It brought everything back. What returned wasn’t just the memory of a dish, but the atmosphere around it, the warmth of that day, the brightness of the lagoon, the sense of belonging to a place and a table.
Agnes wanted to honour the memory of that shared platter, but with a little more intention. Fabio took it from there.
This recipe is our way of doing that. The fish baked simply with lemon and thyme, the potatoes roasted separately so they stay crisp, and the juices turned into a small white wine sauce. Everything meeting on one plate in a way that feels right for this time of year.
Then, everyone around the table, the fish just out of the oven, roasted tomatoes on the vine, some freshly chopped parsley, a good white wine alongside. A fish, a sauce, some potatoes and good company. That is really all this is. And somehow that is always enough, even on a Thursday evening.
Notes from our kitchen
Fabio’s mum, like many in the Veneto, has always cooked fish and potatoes together in the same tin, the potatoes absorbing the juices, everything flavouring everything else. It is lovely that way. But cooking them apart means you don’t risk overcooking the fish and you can use the fish juices to build a simple white wine sauce, drizzled over at the end. It is our touch, and we think it makes the dish feel more complete.
We parboil the potatoes before they go into the oven. It takes an extra few minutes, but the result is fluffier inside and properly crisp outside. Worth it.
Ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the fish. If cooking for a crowd, two smaller fish work just as well as one large one.
The white wine sauce is made while the fish rests. Make sure you cook off the alcohol of the wine before you add stock and cream. Depending on how acidic your wine is, you may need to use more or less cream for balance. Tasting is key.
Serve with plenty of fresh parsley and roasted cherry tomatoes on the vine for a touch of Mediterranean abundance. A glass of whatever you used for the sauce on the side, and nowhere else to be.
Baked sea bass with roasted potatoes and white wine sauce
Serves 2 as a main, or 3 alongside other main dishes
For the sea bass
- 1 whole sea bass, gutted and scaled (approx. 600g)
- 30g unsalted butter, thinly sliced
- 4 slices of lemon
- A small bunch of fresh parsley
- A few sprigs of thyme or lemon thyme
- Sea salt
For the potatoes
- 4 medium potatoes, skin on, washed and cut into chunks
- 25g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- A few sprigs of thyme or lemon thyme
- Sea salt and black pepper
For the white wine sauce
- 1 banana shallot, finely diced
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 150ml dry white wine
- 150ml vegetable stock
- 25–50ml double cream, depending on desired thickness and acidity
- Cooking juices from the roasted fish
- A pinch of salt
Optional, to serve
- 1–2 bunches of cherry tomatoes on the vine
- A drizzle of olive oil
- A pinch of sea salt
Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven
Heat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan).
2. Prepare the potatoes
Put the potato chunks into a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook for about 5 minutes, just until they begin to soften but are still firm in the centre. Drain well and let them steam dry for a couple of minutes; this small pause helps them crisp beautifully in the oven.
3. Roast the potatoes
Return the potatoes to the warm, empty pan. Add the butter, olive oil, and the leaves from 4–5 thyme sprigs. Season generously with salt and pepper, then toss gently so the potatoes are coated without breaking. Spread them out on a baking tray and roast for 35–40 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden and crisp outside and fluffy inside. When they’re done, lower the oven to 170°C (190°C fan).
4. Prepare the fish
As the potatoes finish, turn to the sea bass. Line a separate tray with baking parchment. Lay half the butter slices down the centre and scatter over half the parsley. Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper, season it inside and out with sea salt, and place it on top of the butter. Tuck the lemon slices, a few sprigs of thyme or lemon thyme, and a little parsley into the cavity. Lay the remaining butter, thyme, and parsley over the top.
5. Bake the fish
Bake for 20–30 minutes depending on the size of your fish (around 25 minutes for a medium one). Baste once or twice with the melted butter as it cooks. The fish is ready when the flesh flakes easily at the thickest point, or when a probe thermometer reads 60°C in the centre. Transfer it carefully to a warm serving platter and cover loosely with foil to rest. Slip the potatoes back into the oven to reheat.
6. Make the white wine sauce
Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan and gently cook the shallot over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Turn up the heat, pour in the white wine, and let it bubble for 2–3 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the vegetable stock and let it reduce for another 3–4 minutes. Stir in the cream gradually — start with 25ml and add more depending on the acidity of your wine and how rich you want the sauce. Taste, season with salt, and simmer until it thickens to a pourable consistency.
7. If serving with cherry tomatoes
While the sauce cooks, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the vine tomatoes, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 4–5 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the skins begin to blister. Add them to the platter beside the fish.
8. To serve
Arrange the roasted potatoes around the fish. Spoon a little of the sauce over the top and bring the rest to the table in a small jug. Finish with plenty of freshly chopped parsley.
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