Red Mullet Recipe With Chilli & Garlic Oil

Main
easy
4
60 minutes, plus draining and cooling time

PT1H

Red mullet is given the sunshine holiday treatment in this recipe by Bryan Webb, with a creamy Mediterranean-style aubergine dip and a punchy herb dressing. Buy the whole fish sustainably so you can use the bones and heads to make a splendid fish soup as well. Grey mullet or a good farmed sea bream can both stand in for red mullet if not available.

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Ingredients

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Red mullet

4 red mullet, each weighing 500g
extra virgin olive oil

Chilli and garlic oil

3 garlic cloves
2 anchovy fillets
1/2 tbsp of chilli flakes
2 tbsp of sunflower oil
75ml of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of parsley, chopped

Aubergine purée

3 aubergines
3 garlic cloves
1/4 lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
100ml of extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 tbsp of tahini

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Food processor or blender

Method

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Start this red mullet recipe by working on the aubergine purée. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas mark 7. Prick the aubergines several times with a fork and bake until the flesh is soft and the skins are blackened, about 30 minutes. Allow the aubergines to cool then peel them. Put the flesh in a colander, weigh it down with a plate and leave for 1 hour to drain

3 aubergines

Take 500g of the aubergine flesh and put it in a food processor with the garlic, lemon juice, cumin and tahini. Purée the mixture, slowly adding the olive oil, then taste and adjust the seasoning

1 tbsp of tahini
3 garlic cloves
1/4 lemon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
100ml of extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

To make the chilli and garlic oil, finely chop the garlic and put it in a saucepan with the anchovy, chilli flakes and sunflower oil. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the anchovy melts, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the olive oil and set aside to cool

3 garlic cloves
2 anchovy fillets
1/2 tbsp of chilli flakes
2 tbsp of sunflower oil
75ml of extra virgin olive oil

To cook the fish, heat the grill to maximum. Fillet the fish then season the fillets with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side up on a lightly oiled baking tray or grill-pan and grill on one side only until the fish is just cooked – about 4-6 minutes

4 red mullet
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper

To plate, heat the aubergine purée and place a spoonful on each serving plate. Mix some chopped parsley into the chilli and garlic oil and pour a little around the aubergine purée. Sit the cooked fish on top and serve