Whitefish is the most widespread and widely-fished species in Lake Bolsena (Viterbo), the best known for its delicately flavoured high-quality flesh. Originally from Lake Como, it only arrived in 1800 in this lake area just over half an hour from Viterbo and about 2 hours from the capital.
The deep cold waters of Lake Bolsena, rich in food and predatorial pike, have helped the whitefish thrive, and its presence is a guarantee for the clarity of the water, as whitefish can only survive in highly oxygenated places.
The finest recipe by far is whitefish in green sauce.
Ingredients
1 whitefish 500 – 800 gr.
Half an onion
2 cloves of garlic
Parsley
Capers
Anchovies
Chili pepper
Salt to taste
Half a glass of extra virgin olive oil
A quarter of a glass of vinegar
Preparation
Poach the cleaned whole whitefish in salted water with half an onion for 10 minutes. In a separate container, prepare the minced mixture of 2 cloves of garlic, a sprig of parsley, 4 or 5 capers, 3 or 4 anchovies, a pinch of chili pepper, extra virgin olive oil and a quarter of a glass of vinegar. Remove the head and bone the whitefish. Place on a serving dish, season with the sauce already prepared and garnish with lemon slices.