greeksea breampescatariangrilledbeginnerquick dinner

Psari Scharas

Name: Psari Scharas
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 2 fish (about 350 g each) whole sea bream, cleaned and scaled; 30 ml olive oil; 1 medium lemon; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated; 2 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 10 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 medium lemon, cut into wedges; 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Psari Scharas is a simple, bright, and deeply satisfying grilled sea bream dish with crisped skin and moist, flaky flesh. Lemon, garlic, oregano, and good olive oil give it the clean, sunlit flavors that define Greek coastal cooking.

30 min

2 servings

414 kcal

Greek

Ingredients

Fish and seasoning

2 fish (about 350 g each)whole sea bream, cleaned and scaled
30 mlolive oil
1 mediumlemon
2 clovesgarlic, finely grated
2 tspdried oregano
1 tspsea salt
1/2 tspblack pepper

For serving

10 mlextra virgin olive oil
1/2 mediumlemon, cut into wedges
1 tbspfresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1
Preheat a grill pan, barbecue, or oven grill to high heat. Pat the sea bream very dry inside and out, then make 2 shallow diagonal slashes on each side of each fish so the seasoning penetrates and the flesh cooks evenly.
2
Finely zest about half of the lemon, then juice the whole lemon. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, grated garlic, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
3
Rub the lemon-oregano mixture all over the fish, including inside the cavity and into the slashes. Let the fish stand for 5 minutes at room temperature while the grill gets fully hot; this brief rest helps the seasoning adhere without curing the fish too much.
4
Grill the sea bream for 6-7 minutes on the first side without moving it too early, so the skin can release naturally. Turn carefully and grill for 5-6 minutes on the second side, until the thickest part near the head is opaque and flakes easily, and the skin is lightly charred.
5
Transfer to a plate and rest for 3 minutes so the juices settle. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, scatter over the chopped parsley, and serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing over the fish.

Nutrition per serving

414 kcal

Calories

39g

Protein

Carbs

27g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•If using an outdoor grill, oil the grates well and make sure they are very hot before adding the fish to reduce sticking.
•Ask your fishmonger to scale and clean the sea bream to keep this recipe within 30 minutes.
•This is excellent with horta, boiled potatoes, or a simple tomato-cucumber salad.
•To eat, lift away the top fillet first, then remove the backbone and serve the lower fillet.

Background

Grilled whole fish is a classic feature of Greek seaside cooking, where the quality of the catch is highlighted with only olive oil, lemon, and herbs. Psari scharas, literally fish on the grill, reflects the simple taverna style found throughout the Greek islands and mainland coast.

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