Three Amigos, Three Branzino

My cousins like to gather for Sunday supper, usually at my aunt and uncle's.  I don't usually attend since I'm the black sheep.

This year my BD falls on Good Friday March 25th, so my cousins asked me if we could celebrate my BD the weekend earlier, on the 20th to avoid being subjected to long fiery sermons on Easter Sunday. Some folks wanted to get away for the holiday weekend as well, so it just made sense to celebrate my birthday as an extended family one Sunday earlier.

My relatives kept teasing me.  "When are we going to taste your cooking?"  "I hear you're a good cook. Prove it."

Even though branzino isn't typically found in Chinese restaurants, my relatives love seafood. Seafood is plentiful in Taiwan.  Plus whole roasted branzino is one of my favorite dishes.  I made it last year for my BD and it was a huge hit with my guests.  What's not to like about this mild, white-fleshed fish?  Besides, fish in Chinese culture symbolizes good luck.  We could all use more luck.  But to make sure, I shared my vision for the dish with my cousin Wesley and he said he couldn't wait.

Next task at hand was securing the fish.  Luckily, Fish King Seafood had some clear-eyed branzino for sale at $12.98/lb.   I bought 3 fishes, about 2 pounds each.

To minimize any trauma in someone else's kitchen (what, you don't have this!?  am i in your way again?), I prepped as much of the dish at my home.  I stuffed and twined all three fishes, and even brought my All-Clad roasting pan.  My relatives were impressed.  OMG, that is so much fish!  This All-Clad roasting pan is so heavy!  They took photos and they aren't even foodies!

When I first arrived, however, the early birds at the party chided me.  Fish!  Who told you to bring fish and three bigs ones!?   We ordered take out and one of the dishes we ordered was fried fish fillets.  Inside, I was thinking fried fish fillets, ugh.    I looked at my cousin Wesley, who gave me a sheepish look.  I'm sure we'll still eat it.

My heart sank, I was out $80 for the fish alone, and they preferred fried fish fillets to fresh branzino?   I tried to look on the bright side.  If no one liked my dish, my husband and I would gladly take the fishes home. Leftover branzino makes great fish tacos.

Silly me.   OMG, when we set the piece de resistance in the center of the table, it looked majestic.   It is the first dinner I've attended where everyone dives for the fish head!

There were no leftovers.  None.  The large all-clad and fish bones were scraped clean.  Suddenly "too much" fish was "too little" fish.  All the garnishes were eaten too.

My aunt told me she's never ever cooked a whole fish before and doesn't know how.  I found this astonishing because whole fish is ubiquitous in all Chinese restaurants so I erroneously assumed...

We were also astonished by everyone's reaction to my husband helping me flip the fish.   "He helps you?"  "He knows how to cook?"  "Does he like to help you?"  We were barraged with questions.

I felt like I was transported back to medieval times.   To my father's house because my father would never lift a finger in the kitchen to help me.  When my mother left, cooking became my responsibility, and when I left, my father called his mother and asked her to come to America to cook.  She did.

 It is the first dinner I've attended where everyone dives for the head!  Dibs!

Towards the end of the meal, a cousin asked, "Is this dish Chinese?"

Is it?   Hmmm.   How to answer.   Fennel, Italian, not Chinese.   Yuzu, Japanese.   Soy sauce, Chinese parsley (cilantro), Chinese.   Worcestershire sauce, American.   I plead the fifth.

One hurdle at a time.