Whole Roasted Branzino with sour orange, walnuts, barberries, Aleppo chile, onion, barberry preserve, cilantro, parsley, tarragon, lime, fava bean and dill rice with tahdig
Bringing Herbaceous Notes to Roasted Branzino
Joon | Vienna, Va.
Chris Morgan
The two-pound Whole Roasted Branzino at Persian concept Joon is made to serve two to four guests, fully representative of the restaurant’s philosophy. “We encourage our guests to order a myriad of different things for the entire table to share, enjoy and get the full Joon experience,” says Chris Morgan, chef/owner. Fresh branzino is delivered daily, cleaned, with filets butterflied off the spine to create pockets that are filled with a mix of olive oil, fresh herbs, barberry, walnuts, sour orange and lime. “We slow roast the whole fish with its belly down so that it presents with the filling facing upward,” says Morgan. Once plated, the dish is garnished with more filling, as well as housemade barberry preserve, herb oil, finishing salt and beautiful edible flowers and micro basil grown locally. It’s served with a popular fava bean rice prepared with crispy onions, garlic, olive oil and saffron butter mixed into basmati rice and baked with yogurt, rice and saffron to create a crispy tahdig top.
“It is truly a beautiful blend of flavors and textures: bright, fresh, herbaceous and nutty with just the right amount of acid from the barberries, sour orange and lime juice,” says Morgan. “It’s been on our menu since we opened in 2023, and I do not think it will be going anywhere anytime soon.”
About the Author
Patricia Fitzgerald serves different roles on the Flavor & The Menu team, including writing custom content, Kitchen Collaborative chef spotlights and digital editorial content, as well as acting as a contributing editor for the print magazine. As owner of PFitzCommunications, she specializes in various areas of foodservice and hospitality, while also maintaining clients in other industries and professions. She can be reached at pfitzcommunications@gmail.com.Read More Stories by Patricia Fitzgerald
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