Red Mullet

Description

Red Mullet is sustainably caught down here in the waters around Devon and Cornwall. A light-pink fish with a jacket of red-gold scales, it has a fine, delicate flavour. Red mullet is available from May to November, outside of spawning season, to protect stocks. Good baked whole, grilled or barbecued and pan-fried. We can prepare the fish for you.

Baked whole: Baking any fish on the bone, makes all the difference to the flavour. Preheat oven to 220 C. Season 4 red whole mullet, cleaned and gutted. Chop 6 tomatoes, (or use a tin of chopped tomatoes), put into a bowl and add a handful of chopped parsley or basil, add salt and lots of pepper and set aside.
Finely chop an onion and 1 clove of garlic and some finely chopped anchovy fillets to bring out the flavour. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into an ovenproof dish, add the onion, garlic and anchovies and toss. Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes, then remove and add the tomato and herb mix.
Put the red mullets on top of the mixture, sprinkle them with breadcrumbs and add dobs of butter on top of the breadcrumbs. Bake for about 15 minutes. The fish is done when the dorsal fin can be easily removed and the flesh flakes when tested with a knife.

Fillets: Season the red mullet fillets with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Once the oil is hot, place the red mullet, skin side-down and fry for 2 minutes. Serve with spinach and new potatoes.