Crab and Cornbread Stuffed Branzino - 16 oz

Prep

60 Minutes

Total

105 Minutes

Yield

6 Servings

Ingredients

Cornbread

  • 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 Tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/3 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
  • 1 Ea Egg
  • 1/2 Tbsp Honey
  • 1/2 Cup Plain Yogurt
  • 1/4 Cup Milk
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp Butter, unsalted, melted

Cornbread Stuffing

  • 1 Tbsp Butter
  • 1/4 Ea Red Onion, diced
  • 1 Stalk Celery, diced
  • 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt
  • 1 Tsp Sage, chopped
  • 1 Tsp Thyme, chopped
  • 1/4 Cup Milk

Stuffed Branzino

  • 2 Ea 1 Pound Branzino, scaled and gutted
  • 2 1/2 Cup Cornbread Stuffing
  • 16 Oz Heron Point Crab Meat
  • 1 Ea Lemon, thinly sliced
  • 4 Sprigs Thyme
  • 4 Ea Bay Leaves
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • To Taste Salt
  • To Taste Black Pepper
  • 1 Box Spanish Rice

Charred Garlic & Scallion Sauce

  • 3 Ea Scallions
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 2 Ea Thai Chilis, seeded & minced
  • 1/4 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
  • 2 Cloves Ginger, minced
  • 1 Tbsp Sesame oil
  • 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Sambal
  • 4 Tbsp Lime Juice
  • 1 Tsp Sugar
  • 1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
  • To Taste Salt
  • To Taste Pepper

*For 6 oz. retail can users, please see our scaled recipe below.

Instructions

For the Cornbread:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Pan spray a sheet tray and line it with parchment
  3. In a medium sized mixing bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt over cornmeal
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, honey, milk, and butter
  5. Combine with dry ingredients
  6. Fill sheet tray with batter and bake until internal temperature of 200F, about 15-20 minutes
  7. Let cool. Completely, then crumble by hand or in a food processor

For the Cornbread Stuffing:

  1. In small sauté pan on medium heat, sweat onion, celery, and garlic in butter.
  2. Season with salt & chopped herbs, transfer to mixing bowl and fold in crumbled corn bread
  3. Add milk to moisten

For the Stuffed Branzino:

  1. Pre heat oven to 400°F
  2. Layer inside of each fish with cornbread stuffing, crabmeat, lemon slices and herbs
  3. Tie shut with butcher’s twine.
  4. In a large sauté pan or cast iron on medium-high heat add the vegetable oil
  5. Season with salt and pepper and sear fish on both sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side
  6. Place the fish on a sheet tray with a wire rack and finish cooking in oven until internal temperature comes to 120F, about 8-10 minutes
  7. Cook rice by manufacturer’s instructions.

For the Charred Scallion Sauce:

  1. On open flame carefully char scallions, about 1-2 minutes, cool
  2. finely slice the charred scallions and combine with the remaining ingredients and serve