Broiled Fish Adriatic Style (Emilia-Romagna)

Fish

Marinate a chosen fish for 30 minutes in a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, breadcrumbs, garlic and chopped parsley. Slash the skin of the fish in two or three places on both sides and put them on a very hot oiled grid over glowing charcoal. Between 7-10 minutes cooking on both sides is sufficent for most fish. As the fish are cooked, place them on a hot platter, sprinkle lightly with olive oil and a few drops of wine vinegar, and keep hot.

If shrimps or prawns are used, rub their shells with olive oil and salt, and impale them, face to face, on tiny skewers. When theyy are almost cooked, flatten them lightly with a mallet - this helps them to finish cooking evenly and makes shelling easier.

Large squid and similar fish must be pre-cooked before broiling or they will never become tender. Grey mullet should first be cleaned with more than usual care as they can have a muddy flavor, which can be unpleasant.

All fish should be served with thick wedges of lemon.