Ópson (the noble accompaniment to sîtos)
Alexandrian Port Fish with Gáron
FestiveReconstruction🧂 🍄moyen30 min
A whole grilled fish, dressed with gáron, oil, and a splash of wine vinegar, perfumed with herbs. The ópson par excellence: what is eaten "with" the barley flatbread to transform an ordinary meal into a feast.
Ópson (the noble accompaniment to sîtos)
A whole grilled fish, dressed with gáron, oil, and a splash of wine vinegar, perfumed with herbs. The ópson par excellence: what is eaten "with" the barley flatbread to transform an ordinary meal into a feast.
In the morning, I would go down to the port to see what the sea had yielded, for a fish is judged by its clear eye and firm flesh — set the right principles, the result follows. I had it grilled whole over the coals, without torturing it: the flame cooks, it must not devour. Then a few drops of gáron, a little oil, a hint of vinegar, and oregano from the garden. My guests at the Mouseîon said this dish was worth a well-drawn figure: nothing too much, nothing missing.
Ingredients
- •Fresh sea fish (sea bream, red mullet) — one fine fish (heart of the dish)
- •Gáron (fish brine) — a few drops (umami seasoning)
- •Olive oil — a generous drizzle (fat)
- •Wine vinegar — a splash (acidity)
- •Oregano, fresh coriander — to taste (herbs)
How it was made : Gáron, made from small fish fermented with salt in the sun for weeks, flavored nearly all Greek and Roman savory dishes. Fresh fish was far more prized than meat in coastal cities; Athenaeus' Deipnosophists debate it endlessly.
Sources : Athenaeus of Naucratis, The Deipnosophists · Andrew Dalby, Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece