Katie Couric's Lemony 5-Minute Grilled Fish Practically Makes Itself
I've loved Katie Couric since her 15-year-long stint on the Today Show. These days, her peppy, upbeat attitude and down-to-earth sense of humor never fails to charm her fans on her TikTok and Instagram pages. For me, though, it's her website that keeps me going. The reason? All of the delicious (and easy!) recipes.
Tucked among her sweet family snaps, brilliant tips for keeping hydrangeas alive and no-frills news coverage, I came across a recipe that I knew I had to make as soon as I saw it: her grilled branzino with tomato caper sauce. With summer grilling top of mind, I picked up a some fish, cranked on the grill and got to work.
Get the recipe: Katie Couric's Grilled Branzino
Ingredients for Katie Couric's Grilled Branzino
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
For Katie's recipe, you'll need a whole deboned and filleted branzino (European sea bass), lemons, capers, olive oil, thyme, sweet tomatoes, red onion, olive oil, Castelvetrano olives, aluminum foil and a grill.
Related: Katie Couric's 'Effortless' Pasta Is the Ultimate Low-Effort, High-Reward Dinner
How to Make Katie Couric's Grilled Branzino
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
This recipe practically cooks itself. Start by laying down a sheet of foil on a hot grill or grill pan (I used the latter because #apartmentlife). Place the fish, skin side down, on the foil and add some rounds of lemon and sprigs of thyme. Season with a little bit of salt and black pepper. Cover with a sheet of foil (if you're indoors) or close the grill (if you're outdoors). Set the timer for five minutes.
While the fish is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix a large handful of chopped tomatoes, olives and red onion. Add in as many capers as your little heart desires, then add in the juice of two lemons and one cup of olive oil. Remove the foil (or open the grill) at the five-minute mark, and drizzle on some olive oil. Transfer the fish to a platter and spoon the tomato mixture over the cooked fish.
Related: Jane Fonda's Salmon With Sweet Corn Relish Is the Ultimate Simple Summer Dinner
What I Thought of Katie Couric's Grilled Branzino
Courtesy of Jessica Wrubel
After one forkful of this branzino, I was transported instantly to Katie’s East Hampton house lounging outdoors, languishing in front of a roaring fire and watching the waves lap up on the shore (a girl can dream, right?).
This is the quintessential summertime dinner. The fish came out flaky, tender, sweet and perfectly seasoned, and I barely had to lift a finger. The sauce came together during the five minutes the fish was on the grill. It was salty from the capers, sweet from the tomatoes, tart from the hefty dose of lemon juice and zippy from the raw red onion with a richness from the olive oil and olives that was both satisfying and refreshing. I ate the entire branzino, skin and all, and I don’t regret it one bit.
Related: Katie Couric's Lemon Chicken Is My New Favorite Easy Summer Supper
Tips for Making Katie Couric's Grilled Branzino
Cut the sauce. There is a rough recipe for the sauce at the end of Katie's TikTok, but 1 cup of olive oil?! It seemed excessive (and expensive) so I cut the entire recipe in half and it still made plenty for four pieces of fish.
Make use of your fishmonger. The folks at the Whole Foods fish counter saw the look on my face when they took the whole fish, head and all, out of the case, and offered to fillet it for me for free. Score! And the bones are super easy to take out before cooking.
Use a grill or a grill pan. Proceed with caution on this one. I used a foil-lined cast iron grill pan and while there was zero cleanup, my smoke alarm went off for exactly three of the five minutes the fish was cooking.
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