Olive oil is a hallmark of Mediterranean cooking.

But creamy, decadent butter has its place, too, adding a disarming voluptuousness to anything it touches.

I’m sure Julia Child would agree.

I know that Daen Lia surely does. Her cookbook may be titled, “Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean” (Simon Element, 2025), but butter definitely plays a role. There’s even an entire chapter devoted to recipes that use butter, including one to make “Homemade Butter.”

That includes her “Whole Roasted Snapper with Green Anchovy Butter,” in which whole fish get roasted in the oven, then finished with a dazzlingly green and herbaceous compound butter.

Lia is an Australian home-cook and creator of the digital brand, Daen’s Kitchen, who counts more than 8 million followers across her social media platforms.

In this cookbook, of which I received a review copy, she leans into her Spanish and Sicilian roots in recipes such as “Garlic Confit Ragu Bolognese,” “Fennel & Lemon Risotto,” and “Chorizo Fat-Fried Eggs with Crispy Potatoes.”

For her fish recipe, I actually used two branzinos instead of two snappers, which cooked up exactly the same.

This fast enough for a weeknight but also impressive enough for company. It is especially quick if you make a batch of the green anchovy butter (it makes more than you need for this fish recipe) and freeze some to use another time. That way, it’s at the ready to be pulled out to use whenever the whim strikes.

The compound butter comes together in a flash in a food processor. Just pulse together butter, anchovy fillets, capers, green chile, fresh parsley, garlic, and a splash of olive oil — and voila — you’re done.

Cut slits in the body of the fish, season with salt and pepper, and place lemon slices in their cavities. Roast in the oven. Spoon the melted compound butter over the fish, and serve.

With the anchovies in the butter, it is indeed fish on fish, adding a delicious boost of briny umami. The taste of the garlic comes through deliciously, too.

Be sure to serve slices of crusty bread alongside because when dunked into the green anchovy butter, it makes for an even better version of garlic bread.

Whole Roasted Snapper (or Branzino) with Green Anchovy Butter

(Serves 4)

2 (14-ounce) whole snapper or branzino (or 1 large one), scaled and gutted (ask your fishmonger to do this for you)

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

7 tablespoons Green Anchovy Butter (recipe follows)

Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pat the snapper or branzino dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make 3 diagonal incisions 2 inches long on each side of the fish — not down to the bone but enough to visibly score the flesh. Season the fish inside and out with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity of the fish with the lemon slices.

Place the snapper on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle each fish with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the flesh is white and no longer translucent.

While the fish is cooking, melt the green anchovy butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Drizzle the butter over the fish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Green Anchovy Butter

(Makes 10 servings)

8 anchovy fillets

14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, roughly chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained

1 long green chile pepper, chopped

3 cups flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled but whole

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined. Spoon the butter onto a piece of parchment paper and roll into a tight log. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Tip: The green anchovy butter is great to have in the fridge to serve with steak, lamb, fish, or even just to spread on toast.

Adapted from “Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean” by Daen Lia

Coming Wednesday: Butter Up, Part II

More Whole Fish Recipes to Try: Coffee-Rubbed Grilled Branzino

And: Turmeric Grilled Sea Bass