Grigliata mista di pesce is the Italian platter of mixed grilled fish and seafood, served with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon. Every seaside trattoria has it, and plenty of city restaurants too, made with whatever is freshest that day: sea bream, swordfish, squid, prawns.
It is one of my favourite dishes. The last time I had it was on 23 May 2026 in Sesto San Giovanni, right next to Milan, at Al Sesto Gusto. A simple dish, but when the fish is good, nothing beats it.
Here is the traditional version with salmoriglio, a southern Italian sauce made with olive oil, lemon and oregano. You use it first to marinate the fish, then to dress it just before serving.
The recipe
Classic recipeThe traditional recipe for the dish, not the one from the restaurant where I tasted it.
Ingredients
Fish and seafood
- 2 whole sea bream, gutted and scaled (about 400 g each)
- 4 swordfish steaks of 150 g (1.5 cm thick)
- 4 medium squid (about 500 g in total)
- 8 raw king prawns
Salmoriglio
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp hot water
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fine salt
- Black pepper
- 1 lemon to serve
Method
- Make the salmoriglio: in a bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and hot water until the sauce turns pale. Add the crushed garlic, parsley, oregano, salt and a grind of pepper.
- Clean the squid by removing the head, quill and skin, then leave the bodies whole and score them lightly. Cut along the back of the prawn shells with scissors and remove the dark vein, without peeling them.
- Make 2 or 3 cuts on each side of the sea bream. Lightly salt the inside.
- Brush all the fish and seafood with 4 tbsp of salmoriglio and leave to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. Keep the rest of the sauce for serving.
- Heat the grill, barbecue or griddle until very hot, then lightly oil the grate.
- Grill the sea bream first, 6 to 7 minutes per side, turning them only once with a wide spatula.
- Meanwhile, grill the swordfish for 2 to 3 minutes per side, the squid for 2 minutes per side and the prawns for about 2 minutes per side, until nicely pink.
- Arrange everything on a large platter, spoon over the rest of the salmoriglio and serve straight away with the lemon cut into wedges.
Tips and variations
- A hinged fish grilling basket stops the sea bream skin from sticking and makes turning much easier.
- If the grill is not hot enough, the fish will stick: wait until it is really scorching before you start.
- You can swap the sea bream for sea bass, or add sardines, langoustines or pre-cooked octopus.
- Salmoriglio keeps for 2 days in a closed jar in the fridge, and it is great on grilled meat too.
Recipe shared for guidance only, adapt it to your equipment: times and temperatures may vary. Check for allergens (gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts, sesame…) and make sure ingredients are fresh. Raw or undercooked fish, meat and eggs are not recommended for pregnant women, young children, elderly or vulnerable people. Take care with hot oil, flambéing and alcohol. I am not a health or nutrition professional.