Salmoriglio Siciliano per Pesce alla Griglia

Ingredients

• 150 ml extra-virgin olive oil, best available Sicilian
• 50 ml fresh lemon juice, strained
• 2–3 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp dried Sicilian oregano, Sicilian or Greek variety; not fresh
• 1 garlic clove, very finely minced, or left whole and smashed — remove before service if using whole
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

Method

1. 1
   Combine the lemon juice, hot water, and salt in a bowl. Add the garlic — minced for full intensity, smashed whole for restraint. Pour in the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking continuously until the mixture forms a loose, temporary emulsion. Add the dried oregano and whisk once more. The sauce should appear unified but will begin to separate within minutes; this is correct. Taste: the lemon should be bright, the oregano sharp, the oil round behind them.
2. 2
   Prepare the grill to high heat. Season the fish and begin grilling. After the first side has set and coloured, baste generously with salmoriglio. Turn the fish, baste again. Repeat once more before the fish is fully cooked — two to three baste applications in total. This is where the lemon caramelises against the grill surface and bonds with the fish; omitting this stage reduces the dish to a dressed plate rather than a grilled one. This step is where the dish lives or dies.
3. 3
   Remove the whole garlic clove if one was used. Re-whisk the remaining salmoriglio — separation is expected and re-whisking restores enough cohesion for service. Transfer the fish to a warm plate and dress generously with the fresh salmoriglio immediately before serving. The oil should pool slightly around the fish; the oregano should be visible on the surface.