Raw fish dishes are enjoyed all over Italy as so much of the country lies on the coast. To eat fish raw it should be very fresh or previously commercially frozen at very low temperatures – this process kills any parasites, if you are concerned. We asked the chef-patron Carlo, at Apollonion restaurant in Ortigia, what was important about pesce crudo dishes. ‘You must taste the fish and not the vinegar,’ he told us; the marinade should be leggera, weak, so as not to dominate the subtle flavour of the fish straight from the market that morning. This recipe from Caterina Valentino at Il Palladio restaurant in Giardini Naxos features the ubiquitous salmoriglio dressing used for cooked fish as well as raw. Try adding little cubes of fruit such as peach, melon or strawberry give it a summery feel. The lemon juice ‘cooks’ thinly cut fish in minutes, turning it from translucent pinkish grey to opaque white.