Pesce Di Mercato Recipe

Prepare herbs and nuts

Rinse the basil and parsley under cold water, spin or pat dry thoroughly. Toast the pine nuts (or almonds) in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Hand-chop method

On a large cutting board, stack basil and parsley leaves, then use a chef’s knife to finely chiffonade them. Add the toasted nuts and garlic cloves and continue chopping together until very finely minced. The goal is a coarse, hand-cut texture rather than a silky purée.

Finish the pesto

Move the minced herbs, nuts, and garlic into a bowl. Add grated cheese if using, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil while stirring with a spoon to emulsify and integrate the oil into the mixture. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon zest. The pesto should be loose enough to spoon over fish but still have visible pieces of herb and nut.

Prepare fish

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with the 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes while you finish the pesto.

Cook fish

For pan-searing: heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil. When the oil shimmers, place fillets skin-side down (if applicable). Cook without moving until the skin is crisp and golden, 3–4 minutes depending on thickness. Carefully flip and cook 1–3 more minutes until fish is opaque and flakes easily (internal temp about 140–145°F / 60–63°C). For oven-roasting: preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Place seasoned fillets on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast 8–12 minutes depending on thickness until cooked through.

Plate and finish

Divide the fish among plates. Spoon 1–2 generous tablespoons of the hand-cut pesto over each fillet (or serve the pesto alongside). Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice from the halved lemon. Garnish with a small extra pinch of chopped basil or parsley if desired.