Greek Main Courses
Gopes Tiganites Recipe (Greek Fried Bogue)
Γόπες τηγανητές GOH-pes tee-gah-nee-TES · Gopes tiganites
In short
Gopes tiganites is small, silvery bogue, a genuinely humble, inexpensive Greek fish, cleaned and fried whole in a light flour dusting until crisp. Distinct in flavour and size from marides, sardines or anchovies, it is a real taverna staple in fishing communities rather than a rare specialty.
Gopes, the bogue, is one of the genuinely everyday small fish caught in Greek coastal waters, smaller than a standard eating fish but larger than marides or anchovies, and it has long been a humble, inexpensive staple in fishing communities rather than anything considered a rare treat, unlike prized species such as barbouni.
The treatment is exactly what a fish this straightforward deserves: cleaned, scaled, floured lightly and fried whole until the skin crisps, needing nothing more elaborate to be genuinely good.
This is a good dish to seek out specifically at a proper Greek seaside taverna, where it often appears on the menu at a fraction of the price of more sought-after fish, without sacrificing much in the way of flavour.
Key preparation steps
- Scale and gut whole gopes.
- Dust lightly in flour.
- Fry until crisp on both sides.
- Serve immediately with lemon.
Preparing the fish
Ask a fishmonger to scale and gut the gopes, keeping them whole, which is standard for this size of fish. Rinse and pat thoroughly dry, since any surface moisture stops the flour sticking properly and causes spitting in hot oil.
Flouring and frying
Dust the whole fish lightly in flour, seasoned with a little salt, shaking off any excess, and fry in a generous depth of hot oil at around 175 to 180C for three to four minutes per side, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp and the flesh flakes easily.
Serving
Drain briefly and serve immediately with lemon wedges, while the skin is still audibly crisp, exactly as with any small fried fish. This is genuine, unpretentious taverna food, best eaten with your hands and good company.
Tips from my kitchen
Dry the fish thoroughly before flouring
Any surface moisture stops the flour sticking and causes dangerous spitting in the hot oil.
Fry at a properly hot temperature
175 to 180C gives a crisp result without the fish absorbing excess oil.
Serve immediately
Like any small fried fish, gopes are at their best hot, with the skin still audibly crisp.
Gopes Tiganites Recipe (Greek Fried Bogue)
Γόπες τηγανητές · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 20m
- Cook
- 10m
- Total
- 30m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the gopes and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper.
- Season the flour with a little salt and dust the fish lightly, shaking off any excess.
- Heat a generous depth of vegetable oil in a wide pan to 175 to 180C.
- Fry the fish in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp, and the flesh flakes easily.
- Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 268
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Gopes tiganites
What is gopes?
Bogue, a small, silvery, genuinely everyday Greek coastal fish, larger than marides or anchovies but still modest in size, and traditionally an inexpensive, humble staple rather than a prized species.
Is gopes the same as marides?
No, they are different fish, though both are commonly fried whole. Gopes is somewhat larger than marides and has its own distinct flavour.
Where can you find gopes outside Greece?
It is genuinely a regional Mediterranean fish and can be harder to source outside Greece or the wider Mediterranean, though a similar small, oily whole fish can be substituted using the same method.
