Ingredients Seafood Fish Branzino with Mesclun and Tomato–Herbes de Provence Vinaigrette Be the first to rate & review! Branzino, known as loup de mer, or "wolf of the sea" in French, is mild and sweet. Its delicate flavor pairs nicely with a summery tomato–and–mixed herb vinaigrette. Scoring the fish skin before cooking prevents the fillets from curling in the pan. By Justin Chapple Justin Chapple Facebook Instagram Twitter Justin Chapple is a chef, recipe developer, food writer, video host, and cookbook author. In addition, he is the culinary director-at-large of Food & Wine and host of their video series, Mad Genius Tips, for which he was nominated twice for a prestigious James Bead Award. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 3, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 4 Ingredients 1 small beefsteak tomato (about 6 ounces), halved crosswise ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided ¾ teaspoon black pepper, divided 1 small garlic clove, finely grated (about 1/4 teaspoon) 4 (5-ounce) skin-on branzino fillets 5 ounces mesclun greens (about 10 cups) 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves ½ cup sliced (1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces) fresh chives ⅓ cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves 1 teaspoon fresh chervil leaves (optional) Directions Grate cut sides of tomato halves on small holes of a box grater into a medium bowl until only tomato skin remains in your hand; discard tomato skins. Add 6 tablespoons oil, vinegar, herbes de Provence, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and garlic to grated tomato in bowl; whisk until well combined. Set vinaigrette aside. Place 1 branzino fillet, skin side up, over rim of a plate. Gently fold fillet over the rim to pull the skin taut. Using a sharp paring knife, score only the skin by making 3 to 4 shallow slashes, being careful not to cut too deep into the fillet. Repeat scoring process with remaining 3 fillets. Sprinkle both sides of fillets evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add fillets, skin side down, to skillet; using a fish spatula (see Note), gently press each fillet to flatten. Cook, undisturbed, until skin is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Flip fillets; cook until just cooked through, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer fillets, skin side up, to plates or a platter. While fillets cook, toss together mesclun, parsley, chives, tarragon, and, if using, chervil in a large bowl to combine. Add 1/3 cup tomato vinaigrette, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss well to coat. Serve salad alongside branzino fillets, passing remaining vinaigrette (about 1/2 cup) at the table. Note The large surface area and flexible paddle of a fish spatula make it perfect for pressing fish fillets flat as they cook. Suggested Pairing Medium-bodied Oregon Pinot Gris: Ponzi Willamette Valley Rate it Print