Ingredients
2 whole red mullet (or 4 fillets)
White wine vinegar (cider, perry or sherry vinegar also good)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
A little oil
A little plain flour
1-2 shallots
1 small carrot
1 lemon and/or orange
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig thyme
Star anise, cardamom, cloves, saffron, nutmeg, coriander seeds (any combination)
Method
1. Fillet the red mullet, and pin-bone.
2. Dust the skin side lightly with flour, and season both sides.
3. Pan-fry in a little oil on the skin side until golden.
4. Place in a shallow dish, in one layer.
5. Finely slice the shallot, garlic and carrot.
6. Warm a generous amount of olive oil in a saucepan on a low heat.
7. Poach the shallot, garlic and carrot until softened.
8. Add the spices, thyme and lemon/orange zest, and infuse.
9. Add the vinegar (about half the amount of oil) and season to taste.
10. Pour the marinade over the fish to cover.
11. Cover and keep in the fridge overnight.
12. To serve, take out of the fridge 20 mins or so before to let it come to room temperature. Alternatively, you could warm through in the oven. It shouldn’t be served hot though.
I like to serve this with a leafy salad and/or potato salad and crusty bread.
Image: Red-mullet-escabeche.jpg