Spigola alla Griglia con Salsa Verde

Grilling whole fish is one of Italy's oldest and most honest summer traditions, especially along the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian coasts where spigola (European sea bass) is prized for its clean, sweet flavour. The accompanying salsa verde — a punchy blend of parsley, capers, anchovies, and lemon — has been served alongside grilled fish in Italian coastal kitchens for centuries.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the fish:

• 2 whole sea bass (about 600g / 1.3 lb each), cleaned and scaled
• 4 tbsp (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 lemons, 1 sliced into rounds, 1 for serving
• 4 cloves garlic, halved
• Salt and black pepper

For the salsa verde:

• Large bunch flat-leaf parsley (50g / 2 oz), leaves only
• 2 tbsp (30g) capers, rinsed
• 4 anchovy fillets in oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp (5ml) Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 100ml (7 tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the salsa verde: pulse parsley, capers, anchovies, garlic, and mustard in a food processor until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly stream in olive oil. Stir in lemon juice, season, and set aside at room temperature.
2. Pat fish dry inside and out. Score each side 3 times diagonally through the thickest part. Season generously with salt and pepper inside the cavity and on both sides.
3. Stuff each cavity with rosemary, lemon slices, and garlic halves. Brush all over with olive oil.
4. Preheat grill to high heat. Oil the grates well. Grill fish 5-6 minutes per side without moving, until the skin is charred and releases cleanly and flesh is opaque to the bone.
5. Transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze half a lemon over the fish and serve with salsa verde alongside.

Cook's Notes: A fish grilling basket makes flipping much easier and prevents sticking. If using fillets instead of whole fish, reduce cooking time to 3-4 minutes per side. Salsa verde keeps for 3 days refrigerated.