French cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Red Mullet Niçoise-Style

Small red mullet fried crisp in olive oil, served with a warm ragout of tomatoes, olives and herbs.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 12 small red mullet
• 400 g ripe tomatoes
• 100 g black olives
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 shallots
• 3 tbsp flour
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 bunch basil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Scale and gut the red mullet, rinse under cold water and pat very dry; season inside and out with salt and pepper.
2. Blanch, peel and dice the tomatoes, finely chop the shallots, thinly slice the garlic and pit the olives.
3. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a pan, sweat the shallots and garlic for 3 min, add the tomatoes and herbes de Provence and simmer uncovered for 10 min until a thick ragout forms; fold in the olives and keep warm.
4. Just before frying, dust the fish thinly in flour and tap off the excess.
5. Heat the remaining olive oil hard in a large pan and fry the red mullet 3–4 min per side, until the skin is crisp and the dorsal fin comes away easily.
6. Spread the tomato ragout on a warmed platter, place the fish on top, and serve with lemon wedges and picked basil leaves.