Archestratus of Gela had one argument, and he made it repeatedly: good ingredients, simply treated, left largely alone. His Hedypatheia — already introduced in the skordalia post — is essentially a long poem about not overcooking things. Nowhere is that argument more persuasive than with fish. These are ancient Greek recipes at their most elemental: a whole fish, heat, oil, salt, herbs. Nothing else earns its place.

Ancient Greek recipes and food culture were built around the sea. Fish was eaten across every social class — grilled whole over charcoal or on a hot stone, dressed with olive oil and whatever herbs were to hand. The simplicity wasn't a limitation; it was the point. A good fish properly cooked needs no improvement. Archestratus was emphatic about this, and he was right.

Gilt-head bream — dorada in Spain, sparos to the Greeks — was one of Archestratus's celebrated fish. He praised it specifically, which means you're cooking the same fish he was writing about, in roughly the same sea, with the same olive oil tradition. The aceite verde from the Montetucci mill a few kilometres from Casa Adora is pressed from olives grown on what the Romans called Tucci — the olive oil culture here is as ancient as the recipe. It belongs in this dish.

The flexible angle is minimal. Dried oregano in place of fresh — defensible, since dried herbs were widely used across the ancient Mediterranean and oregano grows wild across Greece and southern Spain. A squeeze of lemon after cooking, which Archestratus might have objected to but which the fish benefits from. Declared, not hidden.

Ancient Greek Recipes — Grilled Fish with Herbs and Olive Oil

Ingredients

• 1 whole dorada, scaled and gutted, scored on both sides
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Sea salt
• Lemon — a squeeze after cooking

Method

1. Take the fish out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
2. Score the fish on both sides — three or four diagonal cuts through to the bone on each side. Rub all over with olive oil, dried oregano, and sea salt, working the oil and herbs into the scores.
3. Heat the plancha over high heat until very hot. Lay the fish on the plancha and cook without moving for 8–10 minutes until the skin is charred and releases cleanly from the surface.
4. Turn carefully and cook for a further 6–8 minutes on the other side until the flesh at the thickest point is just cooked through — a skewer inserted at the thickest point should meet no resistance.
5. Remove from the plancha, squeeze lemon over the top, and serve immediately. Nothing else is needed.

Archestratus spent a lifetime arguing that good fish needed almost nothing. A whole dorada, scored, oil, salt, oregano, twenty minutes on a hot plancha. The proof is in how little this recipe needs.

Footnote:

This ancient Greek grilled fish recipe is featured in my Cooking Through History hub, where I cook my way through the ancient world — from Mesopotamian flatbreads to Medieval English pottage.
You'll also find it in my Fish & Seafood Recipes hub.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef