Crispy-skinned branzino with a bright, savory sumac tomato-cucumber salad is the pinnacle of summer dinner perfection.
Delicate branzino is an ideal accompaniment to this flavorful and bright sumac tomato-cucumber salad. A perfect meal that feels like dinner on the beach.
Branzino is one of my favorite fish varieties. It’s flaky, delicate, and so easy to prepare. It’s a mild fish, so it works well against stronger flavor profiles. The skin crisps beautifully in a hot skillet, and it only takes a few minutes to prepare. In this version, I pair it with a summery tomato-cucumber salad that I flavor with tangy sumac, spicy Aleppo pepper, and plenty of mint and basil. It’s so refreshing and works beautifully with the crispy branzino fillets.
How to make this branzino with sumac tomato-cucumber salad
What you need
- Tomatoes: The salad is all about ripe tomatoes! I love flavorful heirloom tomatoes, but your favorite variety works well here. One note is that some tomatoes have a higher water content than others. For heirloom or beefsteak varieties, I recommend salting the diced tomatoes and letting them stand for 15 to 20 minutes. From there, you can strain off as much of the excess water as you like. If using a lower water content variety, like Roma tomatoes, this step may not be necessary.
- The salad: From there, the salad is simply a combination of cucumbers, basil, mint, Aleppo pepper, sumac, lemon juice, and minced garlic.
- Branzino: I use skin-on branzino fillets, but you can try it with your favorite fish variety. Cod, Chilean sea bass, rainbow trout, halibut, or haddock would be delicious options.
- Garnish: I finish the branzino and sumac tomato-cucumber salad with crushed pistachios, a bit more sumac, and more basil and mint leaves. Sliced almonds would also be delicious!
How to make it
- Step 1: Prepare the salad. Combine the tomatoes, cucumber, minced garlic, sumac, Aleppo pepper, lemon juice, basil, and mint in a large bowl and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2: Prepare the branzino. Pat the fish dry. Make a few diagonal slits in the skin to score it lightly, and then season the fillets with salt and pepper.
- Step 3: Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Once it shimmers, add the fish skin-side down. You may need to fry in batches. As soon as the fish hits the oil, I recommend using a fish spatula or metal flipper to press the fish into the skillet. This helps prevent the skin from shrinking and curling under the fish.
- Step 4: Cook until the branzino’s skin is crispy and releases easily from the skillet. This takes 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking until the fish reaches 145ºF at the thickest part when pierced with an instant-read meat thermometer. Transfer to a platter and tent lightly with foil to keep warm.
- Step 5: Continue frying until all of the branzino fillets are cooked through.
- Step 6: Garnish the branzino with crushed pistachios and a few mint and basil leaves.
From there, you’re ready to serve. Spoon the tomato-cucumber salad onto plates and place a fillet on top. Garnish with more sumac, crushed pistachios, and a few basil and mint leaves.
Branzino with Sumac Tomato-Cucumber Salad
Crispy-skinned branzino with a bright, savory sumac tomato-cucumber salad is pinnacle summer dinner perfection.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 339kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on branzino fillets (about 2 pounds total)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ pounds tomatoes (cored and medium-diced, see Note 1)
- 3 Persian cucumbers (trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch half-moons; or use 1 seedless cucumber)
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons sumac
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use crushed red pepper to taste)
- ¼ cup mint (leaves only; loosely packed and roughly chopped)
- ¼ cup basil (leaves only; loosely packed and roughly chopped)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- ¼ cup pistachios (crushed)
- Basil leaves
- Mint leaves (torn)
- Sumac
Instructions
Prepare the tomato-cucumber salad:
- Transfer the cubed tomatoes, cucumbers, and minced garlic to a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, sumac, Aleppo pepper, mint, and basil. Toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Let it stand as you prepare the branzino.
Prepare the branzino:
- Pat the fish fillets dry and lightly score the skin diagonally, making 2 to 3 small diagonal slits down the middle of the skin and being careful not to cut into the flesh. Season with salt and pepper. I recommend 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper per pound of fish.
Fry the branzino:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Once hot, add the fish skin-side down–frying in batches if needed–and immediately use a fish spatula or metal flipper to press the fish into the skillet to prevent the skin from shrinking under the fish. Fry without moving for 3 to 5 minutes until the skin is crispy and releases easily from the skillet. Flip and fry for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until the thickest part of the fish reaches 145ºF when pierced with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the fish from the skillet and transfer to a platter, skin-side up, and tent lightly with foil to keep warm. Continue frying the remaining fillets.
Garnish the branzino:
- Sprinkle half the crushed pistachios over the fish and garnish with fresh basil leaves and torn mint leaves.
To serve:
- Spoon the tomato-cucumber salad onto plates and place a branzino fillet on top. Divide the rest of the crushed pistachios between each dish and finish with a sprinkle of sumac. Enjoy!
Notes
Note 1: If using a tomato variety with a high water content (such as heirloom or beefsteak), you may want to transfer the diced tomatoes to a large bowl and season with ¼ teaspoon of salt. Let them stand for 20 minutes to draw out the water, then strain off the excess liquid. This is optional, and only needs to be done if you prefer a salad with less excess water. If using Roma tomatoes, which have a naturally lower water content, this step can be skipped.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 175mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 29mg
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