Robata Grilled Whole Fish Recipe

Prepare the brine

In a large bowl or container, dissolve 3 tbs coarse salt and 1 tbs sugar in 2 liters cold water. Add halved lemon (squeezed into brine then dropped in), 2 bay leaves and 1 tbs black peppercorns. Stir to combine.

Brine the fish

Place the scaled, gutted whole fish into the brine, ensuring they are fully submerged (use a plate to weigh down if necessary). Refrigerate and brine for 20–30 minutes. Do not over-brine—this is a short flavor-brining step to firm flesh and add seasoning.

Rinse and dry

Remove fish from brine, rinse under cold running water inside and out to remove excess salt. Pat very dry with paper towels, inside cavities and on skin. Let rest at room temperature 15–20 minutes before grilling so they cook evenly.

Render pancetta

In a small skillet over medium heat, add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and golden and the fat has rendered, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve the rendered fat (leave ~1 tsp in the pan). Let pancetta cool slightly.

Make the compound butter

In a medium bowl, add 250 g softened unsalted butter. Mash butter with a fork until smooth. Stir in the chopped anchovy fillets, cooled crisp pancetta, 3 tbs finely snipped chives, 1 tbs lemon zest, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp sea salt. Mix thoroughly until evenly distributed. Taste and adjust seasoning (anchovies provide saltiness—reduce added salt if necessary).

Chill and shape (optional)

If desired, form the butter into a log on plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes, or keep at cool room temperature for immediate use. Reserve a few small slices of butter for topping the fish after grilling.

Preheat robata/grill

Preheat your robata grill, charcoal grill or very hot gas grill to high heat (230–300°C / 450–575°F). If using charcoal, let coals burn down to even hot embers. Oil the grill grates lightly to prevent sticking.

Oil and season fish

Brush both sides and the cavity of each dried fish with 1 tbs neutral oil. Lightly season the outside skin with a pinch of sea salt and a grind of black pepper. Do not over-salt because the brine and anchovy butter add salt.

Grill the fish

Place the fish directly on the hot grates. Grill whole fish 4–6 minutes per side depending on size (for 300–500 g fish), or until the skin is nicely charred and the flesh near the backbone flakes easily with a fork. If the fish is larger, grill 6–8 minutes per side. Use tongs and a spatula to flip carefully to keep the fish intact. Optionally, move fish to a cooler part of the grill to finish if the skin is charring too quickly.

Finish with compound butter

When fish are nearly done and just off the heat (or during the last 1 minute on the grill), place 1–2 generous tablespoons of the pancetta-anchovy-chive butter into the cavity of each fish and spread a little on the skin so it melts into the meat. If you chilled the butter into a log, slice rounds and place on the hot fish to melt.

Resting and serving

Transfer fish to a serving platter and let rest 3–4 minutes. Spoon any melted butter from the cavity over the fish. Garnish with extra chives or chopped parsley if using and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.