I've never seen a John Dory in Andalucía. My son Danny, three miles from Grimsby fish market, sees them occasionally — and this is what he does when one comes home. This John Dory recipe — grilled hard on the bone, finished in the oven, dressed with smashed capers, parsley, garlic and olive oil — is a fish that most home cooks walk past, usually on account of its looks and its reputation for being more bone than flesh. Danny thinks that's a mistake, and this John Dory recipe makes a strong case.

How to Cook John Dory

John Dory has a reputation it doesn't entirely deserve. Yes, it's an odd-looking fish, and yes, the bone-to-flesh ratio means you need a bigger fish than you might expect for a single portion. But what flesh there is — sweet, firm, delicate — is genuinely worth the effort, and cooking it on the bone, as Danny does, is the right approach. The bones conduct heat evenly and the flesh stays moist in a way it wouldn't if you filleted it first.

It exists in Spanish waters — Pez de San Pedro or Gallo de San Pedro — but it's a rare find, and in rural Andalucía I've never come across one. This one stays firmly in Danny's territory.

Danny's method is the same one he uses for all bone-in fish: hot grill for crust and caramelisation, medium oven to carry the heat through to the bone. A probe thermometer tells him when to pull it. The smashed caper, parsley and garlic dressing — loosened generously with olive oil — goes on at the end and pools into the scored cuts and around the fish on the plate. The charred lemon alongside is not decoration.

Grilled John Dory — Danny's John Dory Recipe

Serves 1 | 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 whole John Dory, gutted and cleaned (scored across the bone — 3–4 diagonal cuts each side)
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to finish
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 charred lemon half, to serve

For the caper, parsley and garlic dressing:

• 1½ tbsp capers, drained and roughly smashed
• A small handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or crushed
• 4–5 tbsp good olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Method:

Heat your grill to its highest setting. Pat the John Dory dry, rub with olive oil and season well on both sides. Char the lemon half cut-side down in a dry pan until deeply coloured — set aside.

Grill the fish for 4–5 minutes on the first side without moving it. Turn carefully and grill the second side for 4–5 minutes.

Transfer to an ovenproof dish and place in an oven preheated to 180°C. Cook for 8–10 minutes, checking with a probe thermometer — you're looking for 55–60°C at the thickest point.

While the fish is in the oven, mix the smashed capers, parsley and garlic together and loosen generously with olive oil. Season to taste.

Remove the fish from the oven, spoon the dressing over and around it, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with the charred lemon alongside — squeeze it over at the table.

Danny applies the same unfussy approach across everything he brings back from the market. His whole turbot with capers and parsley, his Cornish hake with potatoes, capers and samphire, his roasted monkfish with cherry tomatoes and capers, his tandoori halibut with cucumber and herb yoghurt, his cataplana with cod, clams and chorizo, and his roasted cod with beluga lentils, asparagus and endive all follow the same logic — good fish, minimal interference, capers.

This John Dory recipe is part of my Fish & Seafood Recipes hub — fish and seafood dishes from the coast and the kitchen.

Find more recipes and food adventures here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef