GRILLED FISH RECIPES
PSARIA STI SHARA

Add a few drinks and some good company and great memories will be made!

Grilled fish recipes are one of the most popular ways of cooking fresh fish in Greece, especially in the summer!

Greeks love to taste their fish, not smother it with powerful marinades and sauces so you can't taste the meat. They will always use simple recipes, with few ingredients, but are very particular and will always insist on the best quality and freshness!

They always use a charcoal barbecue which gives the food the best flavour.

Red Mullet - Barbounia is good quality, tasty and probably one of the most popular in Greece.
Other psaria that would be used are Tsipoura - gilt head bream or
Marida - picarel.

You can use any small whole fish. You can also use this method to cook large ones, although they would need to be filleted or cut into steaks.

This is the traditional method of cooking grilled fish recipes in Greece. The Mediterranean diet is largely based on the Greek and Cretan cuisine and fish is eaten far more than meat. This recipe is a healthy alternative to fried.

The Greek translation of this meal is
Psaria Sti Shara - which means Fish on the Grill or
Psito Psari which means Grilled Fish.

Fish has singular and plural in Greek - Psari is one, Psaria are many!

The ingredients in this recipe are rather vague, the dressing can be used and added according to the number of serves and also depending on the size of fish, buy for the number of people dining.

Ingredients
Whole small fish
freshly ground salt and pepper
1 - 2 lemons
extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Make sure the fish are completetly gutted, scaled and cleaned.
2. Score the sides with 2 or 3 diagonal cuts to let the flavours into the meat.
3. Salt and pepper well, inside and out.
4. Make a small marinade to baste the fish - 4 parts olive oil to 1 part lemon, mix well until it amalgamates.
5. Brush both sides with the marinade.
6. Brush the grill and also the fish rack if using with oil.
7. If using the rack or cage, place the psaria inside and place on the grill.
8. Each time you turn the fish over, brush with some of the marinade to prevent it from drying out.
9. The grilling time depends on the thickness of the fish.
10. Prepare some freshly made oil and lemon sauce, seasoned with salt and pepper.
11. When the fish is cooked, serve, with the lemon and oil sauce in a separate bowl to be drizzled as per taste.

Tips on Using a Barbecue

Compared to gas, it is rather time consuming, but definately worth the effort as the flavour is delightful.
Have a fairly high heat and turn the fish often.

This will help the juices to flow through and keep it moist.

As the juices drip onto the coals, it will produce smoke which will add to the flavor of the psari, as well as getting all your neighbours jealous of the delicious aroma of bbq fish!

A really great tool to make this recipe easier is to use a fish cage or Non-Stick Grilling Basket
This is a double metal rack, hinged at one end to open up and long handles at the other end.
This holds the fish in place and enables you to turn it over easily without it getting stuck to the grill and falling apart.
Oil the cage or rack before you place the psari in it, then place the rack over the bbq grill. You should still oil the bbq grill as well.

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