Branzino with Arugula Sauce from Chef Sandro Romano of Armani Ristorante in New York

Armani Ristorante hasn’t exactly barged its way into the New York culinary scene.  Some wags have even suggested that Giorgio Armani opened the place solely to be able to enjoy pasta his way. He’d made no effort to conceal his displeasure with the heavily sauced pastas he’d been served in New York.  The restaurant, on the third floor of the flagship Armani store at 717 Fifth Ave. (Tel: 212 207 1902), has a lunch following that drops off the minute the store closes.  It’s then that you use the entrance right around the corner on 56th  Street. But things may well be on the upswing with the arrival of Sandro Romano.

Chef Romano in his kitchen

Branzino may be the name the fish is most commonly called in this country.  But it has a number of other names including European seabass.  The French give it not one but two names: On the Atlantic Coast it’s called Bar Commun and in the Mediterranean, Loup de Mer. In Greece, it’s called ‘lavraki’and is so prized that Greek journalists use ‘lavraki’ when they refer to high-value news stories.  It is a wonderful white fish and wildly popular in New York restaurants. Native to the East Atlantic, it gets a “Best Choice” award from www.seafoodwatch.org.  That designation comes because the vast majority of bronzini are farmed in Nova Scotia.  Amazingly,  this is done on land-based farms so there’s no contamination of the ocean’s eco-system.  There is something very satisfying about knowing your fish choice is given the thumbs up by SeafoodWatch.         

         There’s also great satisfaction in making this dish you dinner. For one thing, it makes a great meatless Monday meal.  And a guilt-free one at that because not only is the fish giving you a healthy bite of Omega 3 fatty acids, the arugula itself is one of the most nutritious of greens.  According to a recent article in the New York Times, nutrition is being bred out of our vegetables. (https://mwr.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html?from=sunday-review) 

Recipe for Branzino with Arugula Sauce from Chef Sandro Romano of Armani Ristorante, NYC with thanks to Florence Fabricant.

Serves 2.*  Takes 40 minutes start to finish

1 large egg

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 branzino or other white-fleshed fish fillets, with skin, about 12 ounces each

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel

1/2 teaspoon pink peppercorns, crushed

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Zest of 1/2 lemon

2 cups arugula, plus a few sprigs for garnish

1/3 cup chervil

1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, add egg, cook 6 minutes, drain and set aside. 

Place a Silpat or sheet of parchment paper in a baking dish large enough to hold the fish. Brush Silpat or paper with 1/2 tablespoon oil. 

 

 

 

 

Brush fish on both sides with another 1/2 tablespoon of oil and place in dish, skin side down. Combine fleur de sel, pink peppercorns, thyme and lemon zest and scatter on fish.

 

 

Peel egg and coarsely chop. Into a blender, add egg, arugula, chervil, parsley, 3 tablespoons water, the lemon juice and the 1/3 cup olive oil. Process to a fine purée. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

 

 

Put fish in the oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes, until just cooked through. Spread sauce on each of 2 warm dinner plates. Make a bed for the fish with the arugula sauce and place each fillet on top of it.  Season fish with salt and pepper. Serve.