Grilled Sea Bass (Lavraki) with Horta

Today's dish, my grandma nodded when she saw it.

Man, listen up. Many people want to make Mediterranean grilled fish at home, but what is the result? or the roast is too dry, and the fish is like chewing wood; Either the Horta wild vegetables are overcooked, turn yellow and bitter, and the aroma of lemon and olive oil is completely gone. In the end, it was made into the kind of "healthy but unpalatable" fitness meal, which completely lived up to this Greek classic. What is this called rice? If you don't put garlic, is that still cooking?

I remember the perfect Lavraki with Horta at a small restaurant in Greece, the fish was so tender that it melted on the tip of the tongue and the wild vegetables were fragrant. At that time, I thought, I have to reproduce it at home. But the first challenge was miserable. The fish skin sticks to the baking sheet, and it can't be torn off, and the horta is cooked for too long, and the emerald green turns into military green, and the entrance is astringent. Unable to find that "simple but exquisite" balance, I stood in the kitchen with a big head in my hand, a shovel in my hand, like a child who did something wrong.

Later, I dug up old notes from my studies in Tuscany, and there were traces of olive oil on the yellowed pages. Combined with my grandmother's method of grilling whole fish back then, I suddenly understood. Adjust the oven temperature, control the blanching time of the Horta, and learn the Mediterranean philosophy of "less is more". Don't toss around the ingredients and let them speak for themselves.

Okay, let's get started. Not in a hurry.

Process the fish first. Sea bass, wash, dry. Be sure to dry it, man. Moisture is the enemy of crispy skin. I made several cuts on both sides of the fish, deep to the bone. Salt, black pepper, plenty of fresh oregano, and garlic slices. Yes, garlic slices. Stuffed into the knife edge, the stomach is also stuffed with lemon slices and rosemary.

My grandmother said that the fish should listen to its sound, and when the sizzling sound changes, it is time to turn over.

Preheat oven, 200 degrees. Don't be too high, too high, the skin is scorched and the inside is not cooked. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil and place the fish on top. Enter the furnace.

This is when Horta is dealt with. Greek wild vegetables, if you can't buy them, use dandelion leaves or spinach stems instead, although the flavor is almost good, but it is also good. Bring the water to a boil and add salt. Throw the vegetables in.

Wait, this sound is not right. It's too urgent. Reduce the heat to a lower level. Yes, in this way, the sizzling voice is gentle.

I was about to go see how the fish was doing, and suddenly – wait, the kettle opened. It was an old kettle left by my grandmother, with a sharp whistle. Turn off the heat first, then continue, no rush. In life, you have to wait for the water to boil.

Horta is handled with care and cannot be cooked indiscriminately.

• The blanching time is strictly controlled from 45 seconds to 1 minute, and the leaves are removed immediately when they become soft.
• After fishing it out, quickly immerse it in ice water to lock the emerald green, this step cannot be saved, otherwise the color will be dark, and there will be no appetite when you look at it.
• Don't squeeze out too much water when squeezing out the water, keep a little juice so that the taste is moist.

When squeezing lemons, the juice splashed on the small wound on my finger and stinged. But the aroma exploded all of a sudden, and the fresh sourness rushed straight to the head, which was worth it. The stems of Horta are a bit rough, and the pads of your fingers are slightly red when choosing vegetables, which is the ingredient greeting you.

Now, let's take a look at the timing. Grilled fish and cooking must be synchronized, otherwise one end is hot and the other end is cold, and it will be messy.

Looking at this table, isn't it much clearer? Unlike those complex French meals, there is no mention of sauce simmering for three hours. It's time, heat, and patience.

The fish is baked. Take it out and let it sit for two minutes. Don't rush to cut and let the juices flow. At this time, neighbor Lao Qiao knocked on the door and borrowed some olive oil. I handed him a bottle and let him smell the fish. His eyes widened, "Grazie, clkmail, this tastes amazing." ”

Back to the chopping board. The skin of the fish is golden and crispy. Tap it lightly with the back of the knife, and the click sound is good. When you cut it, the meat inside is snow-white, and the juice flows out, buono!

Horta is mixed. There should be more minced garlic, plenty of lemon juice, and olive oil should not be skimped. This is the soul. Today's young people are too perfunctory in cooking, and they don't even put garlic, so what else does it taste like? Grandma's handwritten recipe fragment reads: "Wild vegetables are like life, a little bitterness is real, but you have to embrace it with oil and acid." ”

In fact, the cooking on the coast of Greece and Italy is the same in its bones. Respect the ingredients and don't overdo it. When I was studying art in Tuscany, my Greek master also told me: "Don't treat fish as an enemy, it is a friend." ”

Fish skin. Golden yellow. Wait a little longer.

Horta, the water boils, a minute, not much.

This kind of calmness was taught to me by my grandmother. She is always busy in the kitchen, with a slightly fat back and humming old songs. At that time, I didn't understand why she could make such a deep flavor with simple ingredients. Now I understand, it's because she loves these ingredients as much as she loves her own family.

I cut the fish and the juice flowed out, buono! It's just that there is still a handful of Horta left to wash, so I have to soak it first and make another dish in the evening.