Branzino all'Acqua Pazza
Branzino all'Acqua Pazza is delicate, fragrant, and vividly fresh, with tender sea bass gently poached in a bright broth of cherry tomatoes, garlic, capers, and parsley. The juices become a light, savory sauce that tastes of the sea and the Mediterranean in one spoonful.
Ingredients
Pesce e condimento
- 2 fish (about 350 g each)whole sea bass, cleaned and scaled
- 5 gfine sea salt
- 1 gfreshly ground black pepper
- 30 mlextra-virgin olive oil
Acqua pazza
- 250 gcherry tomatoes
- 3garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 20 gcapers, rinsed
- 80 mldry white wine
- 120 mlwater
- 10 gfresh parsley, roughly chopped
Per servire
- 10 mlextra-virgin olive oil
- 5 gfresh parsley, chopped
- 4 wedgeslemon wedges
Instructions
- 1
Pat the sea bass very dry inside and out. Season the cavity and skin with salt and black pepper. Let the fish sit at room temperature while you prepare the pan; this brief standing time helps it cook more evenly.
- 2
Halve the cherry tomatoes. In a wide sauté pan or shallow casserole large enough to hold both fish in one layer, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant but not colored, then add the tomatoes and capers. Cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the tomatoes just begin to soften and release juice.
- 3
Pour in the white wine and let it boil briskly for 1 minute to reduce the raw alcohol aroma. Add the water and half of the parsley, then bring the liquid to a lively simmer. The liquid should come roughly one-third of the way up the fish once added; if needed, add a small splash more water.
- 4
Lay the sea bass into the simmering liquid in a single layer. Spoon some tomatoes over the top, cover with a lid, and poach gently for 8-10 minutes, turning once halfway if your pan shape requires it. The fish is done when the flesh at the thickest part turns opaque and separates easily from the bone, or when it reaches about 60-63°C near the backbone.
- 5
Uncover and simmer for 1 minute more if you want the sauce slightly more concentrated. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust only if needed; capers already bring salinity. Scatter over the remaining parsley.
- 6
Transfer each fish carefully to a warm plate. Spoon over the tomatoes, capers, and a little of the broth. Finish with the extra-virgin olive oil, chopped parsley, and lemon wedges on the side for squeezing at the table.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •Ask your fishmonger to clean and scale the sea bass to keep the recipe within 30 minutes.
- •A pan with a tight-fitting lid is important: the fish cooks by a mix of poaching and trapped steam.
- •If using fillets instead of whole fish, reduce the poaching time to about 4-6 minutes.
- •Serve with sautéed greens or roasted fennel for a paleo-friendly meal.
Background
Acqua pazza, literally 'crazy water,' comes from southern Italy, especially Campania, where fishermen cooked very fresh fish in a light broth of water, tomatoes, olive oil, and aromatics. The name reflects the simplicity of the liquid compared with richer sauces, yet the result is remarkably flavorful and elegant.
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