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The Fire 50 · cook it at home

Whole grilled fish with garlic and chili oil (a la bilbaína)

45 min, 30 min hands-on · 2 to 3 people

The Getaria turbot, at home: a whole fish grilled on the bone stays juicy, and the sizzling garlic, chili and vinegar oil poured over at the end is the Basque finish. Turbot, branzino, sea bream or snapper all work; a fish basket makes turning easy.

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The real one

You need

• 1 whole fish, 1 to 1.5 kg (2 to 3 lb), such as turbot, sea bream, branzino or snapper, gutted and scaled
• 2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil for brushing
• For the bilbaína oil: 120 ml (1/2 cup) good olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 small dried red chili (guindilla) or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• To serve: lemon wedges, boiled potatoes or crusty bread

How to make it

1. Prep the fish (10 min): Rinse and pat the fish completely dry inside and out. Cut 3 shallow slashes on each side down to the bone so the heat gets in evenly. Brush lightly with oil and salt both sides and the cavity. Let it sit 10 minutes while the fire heats.
2. Heat the grill (20 min): Build a medium-hot charcoal fire (you can hold your hand over it for 4 seconds), or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Oil the grates or a fish basket well. Indoors: heat the broiler with the rack 15 cm (6 in) from the element and line a sheet pan with oiled foil.
3. Grill (16 to 22 min): Put the fish in the basket or straight on the grate and leave it alone for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is browned and releases easily. Turn once and grill another 8 to 10 minutes. It's done when the flesh at the thickest point near the head flakes and turns opaque to the bone (54 to 57°C / 130 to 135°F). Under the broiler, about 8 to 10 minutes a side.
4. Make the oil (5 min): While the fish rests 3 minutes, warm the 120 ml olive oil in a small pan over medium heat with the garlic and chili. Cook until the garlic turns pale gold, about 2 to 3 minutes; do not let it brown dark or it goes bitter. Take it off the heat, add the vinegar (it will spit) and swirl.
5. Serve (3 min): Set the fish on a platter, pour the sizzling oil over it, scatter the parsley, and serve with lemon. Lift the top fillet off the bone in sections, then lift the backbone away for the bottom fillet. Don't miss the cheeks.

Tips

• Flat fish like turbot: grill dark side down first.
• If the skin sticks, wait another minute; it lets go when it has crisped.
• Elkano carves the turbot part by part: the gelatinous edges near the fins are the best bites.

Chef Amazing's own home version of whole grilled fish, in our words; not any restaurant's recipe.