Red Mullet with Arroz Verde Recipe

Angel Zapata Martin's beautiful red mullet with arroz verde recipe is the perfect dinner party dish for summer. The vibrant rice is given its beautiful colour by a spin on green picada, a sauce made from spinach, basil, coriander and pine nuts.

Ingredients

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Red mullet

5 red mullet, each weighing 300g
extra virgin olive oil
salt

Green picada (for the arroz verde)

100g of baby spinach
40g of basil
40g of coriander
100g of pine nuts
1 garlic clove
250ml of water

To make the arroz verde

800g of bomba rice
4 shallots, finely diced
2.5l chicken stock, good quality and tasty
150g of manchego cheese, grated
1 dash of olive oil
salt
pepper

To garnish

extra virgin olive oil
red amaranth cress, optional
basil cress, optional
coriander cress, optional

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Blender

To begin, make the green picada. Add all of the ingredients to a blender, blitz to a very smooth purée and set aside in the fridge – this will help to keep its vibrant green colour

250ml of water
100g of baby spinach
40g of basil
40g of coriander
100g of pine nuts
1 garlic clove

Fillet the red mullets, wash well and remove any pin bones using fish tweezers – you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you if preferred. Set aside in the fridge

5 red mullet, each weighing 300g

To cook the rice, add a dash of olive oil to a pan set over a low-medium heat. Add the shallots, cook until tender and lightly coloured then add the rice. Cook out for a couple of minutes to form a thin shell around the rice, this will help to keep it “al dente”. Meanwhile, add the chicken stock to a pan and bring to the boil

1 dash of olive oil
4 shallots, finely diced
800g of bomba rice
2.5l chicken stock, good quality and tasty

Slowly add the boiling chicken stock, cooking in same way as you would a risotto by pouring in a ladleful at a time and allowing the stock to be absorbed before adding more

When the rice is nearly ready, brush the fish fillets with oil, season with salt and fry skin-side down in a hot pan. Once the skin is golden, turn the fillets and immediately remove from the heat. Leave to rest and finish cooking in the residual heat of the pan

salt
extra virgin olive oil

When the fish is ready, stir the cheese into the rice – at this stage the rice should have absorbed all the liquid and should be fairly dry. Add the picada and stir until it is fully incorporated and a vivid green colour. Season with salt and pepper

150g of manchego cheese, grated
pepper
salt

Divide the rice between serving plates or bowls and top with a red mullet fillet. You can garnish the dish with the herbs and a drop of extra virgin olive oil, if desired

coriander cress, optional
extra virgin olive oil
red amaranth cress, optional
basil cress, optional

First published in 2018

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Angel Zapata Martin

As executive chef of London’s lauded Barrafina restaurants, Angel Zapata Martin is a figurehead for authentic Spanish tapas in the UK.

Red mullet with arroz verde

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