Baked Red Mullet with Garlic and Tomatoes

Information
This is a fish that appears often in Mediterranean cookery.

ingredients
4 even-sized red mullet
45 ml (3 tbsps) olive oil
45 ml (3 tbsps) dry white wine
1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
340 g (12 oz) fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced or 400 g (14 oz) canned tomatoes, strained
Sprigs of fresh dill for garnish

method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Gas Mark 5. First scale the fish by running the blunt edge of a large knife over the skin of the fish going from the tail to the head.

2. Using a filleting knife, cut along the belly of the fish from just under the head to the vent, the small opening near the tail. Clean out the cavity of the fish, leaving in the liver if desired. Rinse the fish well inside and out and pat dry.

3. Trim the fins and neaten the tail with kitchen scissors. Place the fish head to tail in an ovenproof dish. Mix the oil and the wine together and squeeze the juice from one of the lemons. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and pour over the fish. Place on the tomato slices or if using canned tomatoes, crush them slightly and spoon over. Bake for about 25 minutes, basting frequently until the fish is tender. Garnish with dill.

serves 4

Citrus Steamed Red Mullet with Fennel

Information
Steaming really emphasises the beautiful vibrant colour of red mullet or snapper.

ingredients
4 small red mullet or red snapper, cleaned
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh root ginger, peeled and shredded
4 spring onions, trimmed and shredded
1 lime, thinly sliced
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh fennel or dill
1/2 green chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced (optional)

method
1. Make 3 slashes in each side of the fish and rub with the soy sauce.

2. Put a little ginger and spring onion in each cavity and place on a plate.

3. Cover the fish with the lime and lemon slices, fennel and chilli.

4. Scatter over the remaining ginger and spring onion. Cover and steam for 7 minutes.

serves 4

Grilled Red Mullet with Fresh Lime and Chives

Ingredients

8 X 5 - 8 oz (150-250g) red mullet, scaled but not gutted
fresh chives, chopped
1 lime, quartered

for the marinade
Juice of 2 fresh limes
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons chives, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

method

1. Wash the mullet and pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. In a shallow glass or earthenware bowl combine the marinade ingredients and leave the fish in this for 15 minutes, turning them occasionally.

3. Meanwhile, heat the grill to high and lightly oil the grill rack.

4. When you place the fish on the grill rack, make sure they are well coated in the marinade and chives as the latter are appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds.

5. Grill the mullet 2 or 3 minutes, turning and basting them and heaping on more chives as they cook, continue to grill for a further 2 or 3 minutes.

6. The skin of the fish will be crisp and the tails slightly charred.

7. serve them hot on warmed plates with quarters of fresh lime

serves 4

Red Mullet Nicoise

Ingredients

Red mullet is now widely available and its attractive appearance lends itself to this colourful dish.

2 tbsps red wine vinegar
8 tbsps olive oil
1/4 tsp French mustard
Handful of chopped fresh mixed herbs
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper
120 g (4 oz) button mushrooms, quartered
4 red mullet, descaled and cleaned
Seasoned flour

Lemon juice
450 g (1 lb) tomatoes, quartered and cores removed
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
90 g (3 oz) pitted black olives, halved
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
Small tin anchovy fillets

method
1. In a screw top jar, shake together the vinegar, 6 tablespoons of the olive oil, the mustard, herbs, shallot, garlic and seasoning, to make a vinaigrette.

2. Put the mushrooms into a bowl and pour over the vinaigrette. Stir to coat the mushrooms evenly and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

3. Toss the mullet in the seasoned flour to coat lightly Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the fish on both sides for 2 - 3 minutes per side, taking care not to break the fish. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice and salt and pepper, and allow to go cold.

4. When ready to serve, add the tomatoes, pepper, olives and eggs to the mushrooms. Stir together gently, to coat the salad with the marinade.

5. Pile the salad onto a serving dish and arrange the red mullet on top. Garnish with the drained anchovy fillets.

serves 4

Mullet in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

4 red mullet, whole and cleaned
2 level tbsp seasoned flour
oil or butter for frying
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped parsley

for the sauce
1/2 onion, skinned and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, skinned and crushed, optional
2 tbsp (1 oz) 25 g butter
1 lb (450 g) tomatoes, skinned and quartered
salt and pepper
2 level tsp sugar
1 bay leaf

method
1. First make the sauce. Fry the onion and the garlic (if you are using it) in the butter for about 5 minutes, until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and bayleaf, cover with a lid and simmer gently until soft and pulped - about - 1/2 hour; remove the bayleaf,

2. Rinse the fish and dry them well. Dip them in seasoned flour and fry them in shallow fat until tender, turning them once and allowing 6-8 minutes in all.

3. Place half the tomato sauce in a shallow ovenproof dish, lay the fish on top, then cover with the rest of the sauce; sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and brown under a hot grill.

4. Sprinkle with parsley and serve at once.