Crispy seafood platter celebrates the catch with citrus brightness

Sunlight catches the charred edges of squid rings and prawns arranged across a slate bowl, their amber exterior giving way to tender flesh within. The platter arrives at the table as a moment of theatre, the kind of dish that invites conversation and a slowness to eating, when the first instinct is simply to look. Crispy baby octopus clings to the pyramid of golden abundance, while corvina provides a delicate counterpoint to the bolder flavours of its companions.

What matters here is the lightness despite the cooking method. A burnished exterior does not mean heaviness: each piece holds its own character. The citrus dip, bright and sharp, becomes essential rather than decorative, its acidity cutting through the richness with the precision of someone who understands how Peruvian cooking speaks to the sea. Green herbs and red chillis punctuate the composition, their purpose both ornamental and flavour.

Executive Chef Fabrizio Fossati draws from COYA’s signature dishes across its global restaurants, but this platter belongs particularly to the Marbella table, a sharing vessel designed for the moment when conversation matters as much as the food. It is the sort of dish that reminds diners why seafood, handled with respect and restraint, needs little beyond salt, heat and citrus to sing.

COYA Marbella operates at Puente Romano, the resort and restaurants on the Golden Mile. The Crispy Seafood Platter appears under Aperitivos on the menu, though its generosity and theatre suggest it might equally serve as a first proper course or a moment of indulgence shared between friends.

Imagery courtesy of COYA Marbella (@coyamarbella).