Market to Table: Cooking with the Isgrò Fishermen of Capo Market

Priscila Stuart
Jul 8
3 min read

Updated: Jul 22

There’s something sacred about the morning light in Palermo’s Capo Market. It filters through striped awnings, bounces off silver-scaled fish, and wakes the city with the scent of salt, lemons, espresso, and life.

When I first arrived in Palermo, heart in pieces and soul craving something real, I stayed for six days in an apartment perched directly above the Isgrò family’s fish stall. I didn’t know it at the time, but those mornings, stepping out onto a tiny balcony to the hum of the market below, would shape the next chapter of my life.

The little balcony at the first apartment I stayed in Palermo's Capo market.

The First Fish

The Isgròs are true custodians of the sea. Every day, they carefully lay out their glistening catch: anchovies, spigole, calamari, orate, and sometimes a swordfish so big its tail dangles off the edge of the table.

On my first visit, it was the grandson, Giuseppe, who noticed I was clearly not a local. He was kind, spoke a little English, and helped me choose my very first whole fish to cook in Palermo.

Early morning stroll through Capo Market to choose fresh fish at the Isgrò's stall.

That night, in my little market-side apartment, I stuffed the fish with sliced lemons, salty capers, and sweet onions. I nestled cherry tomatoes around it, added a generous drizzle of olive oil, and baked it until the skin crisped and the scent filled the kitchen. Just before it finished, I poured in a splash of white wine and let it reduce. A shower of lemon zest and a handful of torn herbs brought it to life.

It was simple. Rustic. Pure. And it tasted like Sicily.

Market Magic

Capo Market isn’t the loudest or the most photographed, but to me it’s the most soulful. It’s where locals shop, nonne debate eggplant choices, and where the rhythms of daily life pulse strong and steady.

And the Isgròs? They’ve become my compass.

I visit them almost every day... sometimes to shop, sometimes just to say hello. Their advice on what’s fresh, what’s local, and what’s truly worth buying is gold. They’ve become more than vendors, they’re friends. Family, even. I trust them implicitly, and in a city that can still feel wild around the edges, they are one of my constants.

Isgro fisherman with Priscilla Stuart in Capo Market — Together with Mimmo and Peppino Isgrò in the Capo Market

A Recipe from the Market

Here’s my go-to method for whole fish, inspired by that first day:

Pesce al Forno (Stuffed & Baked Sicilian Style)

Serves 2–3

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fish (like spigola or orata), scaled and gutted

• 1 small onion, thinly sliced

• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds

• 1 tbsp salted capers

• A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Splash of dry white wine

• Fresh herbs (parsley, mint, oregano)

• Lemon zest

• Sea salt & black pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).

2. Rinse the fish and pat dry. Stuff the cavity with onion, lemon slices, and capers.

3. Place the fish in a baking dish. Scatter cherry tomatoes around it and drizzle everything generously with olive oil.

4. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20–25 minutes, depending on size.

5. Near the end, pour in a splash of white wine and let it reduce slightly.

6. Finish with fresh herbs and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Serve warm, with crusty bread or roasted potatoes.

More Than Just a Meal

That fish wasn’t just my first home-cooked meal in Palermo, it was the beginning of a deeper connection to this place. To its people, its ingredients, its rhythm.

Capo Market continues to be where I ground myself. Where I choose ingredients with my hands and heart. And the Isgròs? They continue to guide me, one fish at a time.

If you ever find yourself in Palermo, come walk the market with me. I’ll introduce you to the family behind the fish, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll cook something that changes you too.

Click here to join me in the kitchen