Salmoriglio Siciliano

Salmoriglio is the sauce that Sicilian fishermen have made for their catch since before anyone thought to write recipes down. It requires four ingredients and the restraint to use nothing else. No vinegar. No capers. No anchovies. Those belong to other sauces.

The technique matters more than the ingredients, simple as they are. You must emulsify the oil and lemon juice with warm water, whisking until the mixture becomes one thing rather than two liquids refusing to cooperate. The garlic is crushed, never minced, so it perfumes the sauce without leaving harsh pieces that burn on the grill.

I learned to make this watching an old woman in Messina brush it onto swordfish steaks with a bundle of oregano branches tied together. She used the herb itself as her brush. The oregano left traces of itself on the fish with every stroke. Simple does not mean careless. It means every gesture has purpose.