Baked red mullet with anchovies

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Marianna Vitale cooks beautiful red mullet in paper pouches in this simple recipe. The paper protects the fish from overcooking, and traps the aromas released from the lemon leaf, infusing the fish with a delicate flavour. Served with two anchovy sauces, this is a dish for seafood lovers.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Red mullet

  • 4 red mullet, each weighing approximately 250g, filleted and pin-boned
  • salt to taste
  • 4 lemon leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil to season

Anchovy bread sauce

  • 200g of stale bread, toasted
  • 30g of anchovy extract
  • 1/2 lemon, zest only

Anchovy cream

  • 30g of anchovy extract
  • 100g of cream
  • 30g of milk

Method

1
To begin, make the anchovy bread sauce. Blitz the bread into breadcrumbs and add to a bowl with the anchovy extract and lemon peel. Keep in a cool, dry place
  • 200g of stale bread, toasted
  • 30g of anchovy extract
  • 1/2 lemon, zest only
2
For the anchovy cream, mix the cream with the anchovy extract and milk. Blitz with a hand blender to emulsify
  • 30g of anchovy extract
  • 100g of cream
  • 30g of milk
3
Cut four 30x15cm piece of greaseproof paper sheets and add the ingredients for the red mullet in this order: first a lemon leaf, followed by some extra virgin olive oil, then a fillet of red mullet, skin-side down
  • salt to taste
  • 4 lemon leaves
  • extra virgin olive oil to season
  • 4 red mullet, each weighing approximately 250g, filleted and pin-boned
4
Sprinkle over some salt and a little more oil, then add the other fillet skin-side up and add another splash of oil. Repeat for the other red mullet and seal the paper into pouches
5
Place the pouches under a hot grill, cooking for 1 minute on each side
6
Serve the papillote with a glass of the anchovy bread sauce and a glass of the anchovy cream
First published in 2015

By choosing to cook with simple, humble ingredients and adding her own twist to classic dishes, Marianna Vitale has managed to turn her quiet suburban restaurant into a Mecca for inventive, modern cuisine.

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