Branzini

I guess I should start at least 10 years ago when I read a review of a restaurant that was considered an unfound treasure. It was called Dino's and it was in Smithtown NY. My family enjoyed many memorable meals there. One of the many things we liked about this restaurant is that you could always get a seat with a very short wait. We each began to order our favorites when we ate there and my husband's favorite was Branzini. They would come to the table with the whole fish and debone it in front of him finishing it with a flourish of a bit of olive oil and some seasonings.  After that whenever it was on a menu he would order it and always exclaim how much he loved it! I always wanted to prepare it but was afraid it would not live up to his favorable experiences. So recently I noticed my local fish monger started carrying it so I though I would give it a whirl. After asking Eddie the owner for a bit of information ,plus some tips, I bought it. He told me this Meditteranean Sea Bass was called the "Godfather of the sea bass" and that it has become quite popular because it is a white fish with a mild flavor and according to him EASY to make. After researching recipes and remembering Eddie's advice I took the plunge. Like most recipes simple is the best way to go-which is what I did. Basically, after cleaning and drying off, I seasoned it with kosher salt and fresh gound pepper, and drizzled it with a good quality olive oil.  I sprayed a grill pan with Bertoli olive oil spray (new great product) and set my burners to high. My grill pan fits over 2 burners so I can cook more that one item-I chose to throw on some scallops as well. With skin side down I sear the fish for 3 minutes then turn over for another 2 minutes. To finish I flipped it back over squeezed 1/2 a lemon and then garnished with lemons for additional flavor.  Many times we get nervous cooking fish but really it is the easiest and quickest to prepare and if we don't have a lot of time fish is the way to go!