Red mullet has such a beautiful sweet flavour that it doesn’t need anything complicated doing to it, just a simple pan-fry. You’ll need one good-sized fish per person. Ask Terry to gut and fillet each to produce two lovely fillets.
Ingredients (serves 4)
3 medium potatoes, peeled
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 thyme sprig, leaves only
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper
30 pitted black olives
20 chive stalks, chopped
4 x 400g red mullet, filleted
1 splash of olive oil, for frying
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.
Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (use a mandolin if you have one), then mix carefully with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped garlic and thyme leaves.
Season, then spread the mixture over a greased baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.
Meanwhile, blitz the olives and half the chives with the remaining olive oil in a food processor to make a thick purée.
Season the fillets. Heat a frying pan and oil until it is very hot – the oil should be shimmering but not smoking – and fry the mullet fillets for a about one minute on each side. You want a crispy skin.
Divide the potatoes between four plates, pop two fillets on top of each mound and, using a teaspoon, drizzle the plate with the olive purée. Scatter the remaining chives over everything and serve immediately.
Click HERE for the original recipe on the internet.