Recipe: Parrillada de la Mar

Name: Parrillada de la Mar
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 4 sardines; 2 salmon steaks; 8 shrimp; 4 king prawns; 4 red mullet; 4 tomatoes; 4 mild green peppers; 2 lemons; 1 bell pepper (optional); Olive oil, fine sea salt and coarse salt, freshly ground pepper; Thyme and bay leaf

By AFTouch-Cuisine 4.9/5 (10 reviews) · 🍳 4 made it

Recipe Parrillada de la Mar - Chef recipe — Photo: ivan couet aftouch-cuisine

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Total 35 min

Servings 4 serv.

Parrillada de la Mar brings four different fish and shellfish together on one board. Whole sardines, red mullet with diagonal cuts for even cooking, split langoustines, peeled prawns. Marinate for 20 minutes in olive oil, thyme and bay leaf. A hot griddle does the work: vegetables first, then salmon and langoustines 3 to 4 minutes per side, red mullet 2 to 3 minutes, sardines and prawns 2 minutes. Squeeze lemon and serve on wood.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Adjust for

servings

4 sardines
2 salmon steaks
8 shrimp
4 king prawns
4 red mullet
4 tomatoes
4 mild green peppers
2 lemons
1 bell pepper (optional)
Olive oil, fine sea salt and coarse salt, freshly ground pepper
Thyme and bay leaf

Step-by-step directions

1 Prepare the fish. Scale and gut the red mullet, make diagonal cuts on their sides 2 to 3 times for even cooking. Leave the sardines whole. Split the king prawns lengthwise, peel the shrimp keeping the tail on.

2 Marinate. In a dish, coat all fish and shellfish with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with thyme and bay leaf. Turn everything over to coat well and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3 Prepare the vegetables. Cut the tomatoes in half and season them. Leave peppers and bell pepper whole or in strips, they will grill directly.

4 Heat well. Heat your griddle or plancha to maximum temperature, or use hot coals with no flames. Lightly oil the surface.

5 Cook in order. Start with the vegetables (5 to 6 minutes), then salmon and king prawns (3 to 4 minutes per side), red mullet (2 to 3 minutes), sardines and shrimp last (2 minutes). Flip each piece only once.

6 Plate and serve. Arrange on a wooden board, squeeze lemon over everything and serve immediately.

A chef's advice

Parrillada de la Mar is the dish you cook when you have guests and want to show what you can do. It's really a summer plate, when sardines and red mullet come at fair prices and you can eat fish without thinking twice. Think of May, June, September Sundays when tomatoes still have flavour and sweet peppers arrive at the market. Historically Spanish, from Galicia and Catalonia where the sea is outdoor kitchen, grilled fish is breathing. In France we have good coastal versions, especially Mediterranean and Atlantic sides, but parrillada stays a matter of simple technique and fresh ingredients, nothing more. For wine, pick a dry white with body, a Loire Muscadet, a Picpoul de Pinet if you like Mediterranean, or Chablis. Light reds like Beaujolais don't clash with grilled tomatoes either. What matters is the wine has acidity to cut through fish fat. For sides, skip the fussy stuff. Serve with bread griddled if you're generous, rocket salad with just coarse salt and olive oil, and let people grab from the board with their hands. That's the whole point of it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I replace langoustines with another shellfish?

Yes, use Scampi, Dublin Bay prawns or large whole prawns. Same cooking time, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Skip small pink prawns, they cook too fast and dry out.

How do I stop fish sticking to the griddle?

Oil the surface just before cooking, not before. Make sure griddle is very hot, 180°C minimum. Don't move the fish for the first 2 or 3 minutes, it will release itself. Only flip once.

Can I marinate the fish the day before?

Yes, clean the fish and marinate overnight in the fridge. Wait at least an hour before cooking for flavours to set. Don't keep raw fish longer than 24 hours.