Name: Pan-fried Fillet of Red Mullet with Seared Oranges and Spring Onions
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 2–3 coriander seeds; 1 star anise; pinch of saffron strands (optional); 3 tablespoons water; Juice of 3 oranges and 1 curl of zest; 3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar; 8 spring onions, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) sticks; 1 small shallot, chopped; Juice of 1 lemon and 1 curl of zest; drop of olive oil; Salt and pepper; 250 g (9 oz) Mashed Potatoes (optional), to serve; 1 large orange, segmented; Caster sugar (optional); 4 fillets of red mullet from 2 X 350 g (12 oz) fish, scaled and pin-boned; Plain flour; Butter

Preparation info

Serves
4
as a starter

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

New British Classics

By Gary Rhodes

Published 1999

About

Red mullet is one of my favourite fish. It’s the most prized fish of the Mediterranean (Mullus barbatus), with a rich crimson skin and a delicate flavour. A variety of red mullet can also be found in the Atlantic, and around the south coast of Britain, which is not quite so delicate (Mullus surmuletus). Whichever fish you use, the mullet has always been prized. The Romans paid vast sums for it, and the English did too if this quote from Mrs Roundell’s