How to Grill Whole Fish, Andalusian Espeto Style

What is an espeto?

Espeto means skewer, and on the Costa del Sol it stands for one dish above all: espeto de sardinas. At the beach bars of Málaga, the espetero threads a row of sardines onto a skewer, pushes it into the sand at an angle beside a wood fire – traditionally olive wood, often burning in a small boat filled with sand – and turns it once. The fish never sits over the flames. It cooks in the radiant heat at the side of the fire, which crisps the skin, melts the fat under it and leaves the flesh juicy, with a breath of smoke.

The method suits other small, oily fish just as well, and the idea behind it – plenty of salt, steady heat, patience – works for larger whole fish on an ordinary grill.

The best fish for grilling whole

• Sardines: the classic espeto fish. Rich and quick to cook, and at their best in the warm months, when they are fattest.
• Mackerel: firmer and a little stronger in flavor; on a skewer or a grill it behaves like a large sardine.
• Sea bream (dorada): mild, sweet white flesh and a shape that lies flat on the grate. A 1 lb (450 g) fish serves one or two.
• Sea bass (lubina): similar to bream and a little more delicate; score the skin so it cooks evenly.

Buy them whole and as fresh as you can: clear, bulging eyes, bright red gills, firm flesh that springs back when pressed, and a clean smell of the sea.

Prep: cleaning, scaling and salting

Sardines can go onto the skewer as they are – many beach bars grill them ungutted. Gutting gives a cleaner, less bitter taste and takes seconds with your thumb or a small knife; the loose scales rub off under cold running water.

Sea bream and sea bass need more care. Scale them from tail to head with the back of a knife or a fish scaler – outdoors, or inside a large plastic bag, because scales fly – then gut, rinse and pat completely dry. Cut two or three shallow slashes into each side so the heat reaches the thickest part. A short, sharp blade does all of this; a proper fillet knife is only needed if you also fillet fish for other dishes.

Salt generously with coarse sea salt, inside and out, shortly before cooking. Dry skin and plenty of salt are what make the skin crisp and keep it from sticking. Tuck lemon slices and parsley stalks into the belly of larger fish.

Method 1: the espeto by a fire pit

At home, a fire pit or fire bowl stands in for the beach. You need a bed of hardwood embers with a little live flame, and a way to stand the skewers at an angle beside it: a tray or bucket of sand, or a couple of bricks to lean them on.

1. Build the fire

   Light hardwood – olive, oak or beech – and let it burn down to strong, glowing embers with some low flame. Charcoal works too, with less aroma.

2. Skewer the fish

   Push flat metal skewers through the sardines just below the backbone, so the fish cannot spin, and leave a little space between them.

3. Lean them in

   Stand the skewers at an angle facing the embers, close enough that you can hold your hand there for only a few seconds. The fat should sizzle, not flare.

4. Turn once

   When the skin facing the fire blisters and the eyes turn white – a few minutes for sardines – turn the skewers to cook the other side.

5. Serve from the skewer

   Sprinkle with a little more salt and eat with your fingers, the Málaga way, with lemon and bread.

Choosing a pit for this? Our guide to the best smokeless fire pits compares the options.

Method 2: whole fish on a charcoal or gas grill

1. Clean and heat the grate

   Scrub the grate, then heat the grill to medium-high with the lid closed. On charcoal, bank the coals to one side so you have a hot zone and a cooler one.

2. Oil the grate and the fish

   Wipe the hot grate with an oiled paper towel held in tongs, and brush the fish lightly with olive oil.

3. Lay it on the diagonal

   Put the fish across the bars at an angle and leave it alone. It sticks at first, then releases once the skin has crisped.

4. Turn once

   Slide a wide spatula under the fish – two for a large bream – and turn it in one confident move. A fish basket makes turning easy and holds sardines in a neat row.

5. Finish gently

   For thicker fish, move to the cooler side or turn the gas down and close the lid for the last minutes, so the inside cooks before the skin burns.

As a guide, sardines need about 2–3 minutes per side and a 1 lb (450 g) sea bream about 6–8 minutes per side. A small kettle such as the Weber Smokey Joe handles a batch of sardines or one bream; for two bream at once, an 18-inch kettle or a gas grill with a lid is more relaxed. Our portable grill guide compares them.

How to tell when it's done

Look and touch first: the flesh turns opaque all the way to the bone, the dorsal fin pulls out with almost no resistance, and the flesh lifts cleanly from the backbone when you test it with the tip of a knife. For certainty, push an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part, close to the bone but not touching it. USDA guidance for fish is 145°F (63°C). Sardines are so thin that the look test is usually enough.

What to serve with it

• Lemon halves and a bottle of good Spanish extra virgin olive oil on the table.
• A simple Andalusian tomato salad: ripe tomatoes, green pepper and onion, dressed with olive oil, sherry vinegar and salt.
• Crusty bread for the juices, or potatoes roasted in the embers.
• For a longer summer table, one of our easy Mediterranean meals.