Fried Red Mullet with Sautéed Vegetables

Preparing the fish

1. The nice thing about red mullet is that it’s easy to clean. The scales are large and come off easily. And the almost total absence of bones makes red mullet truly unique and desirable. If the fish is frozen, thaw it naturally: simply move it from the freezer to the fridge overnight.

   

2. Scale the fish, gut them and remove the gills. Rinse thoroughly and scrape off the dark membrane from the inside of the belly.

3. Salt the red mullet and add a little pepper. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and leave to marinate for 30 mins.

   

Vegetable side dish

1. Prepare the side dish for the fried fish. Peel the small zucchini (if it’s young, you can leave the skin on) and the red bell pepper. Cut the zucchini into rounds or half-rounds and the pepper into rings. Slice the tomato thinly, seeds and skin included.

   

2. Heat olive oil in a frying pan and fry the sliced zucchini over medium heat. Don’t cover the pan with a lid. Stir the zucchini so it browns evenly.

   

   After about 5 mins, when the zucchini pieces become slightly soft, add the sliced bell pepper. Fry the pepper and zucchini for another 5 mins.

   

3. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste and add the sliced tomato. Stir, fry for 1-2 mins and immediately take the pan off the heat. The vegetables should be al dente, never overcooked. Transfer the sautéed vegetables to a plate and leave the oil in the pan.

   

Frying the red mullet

1. Dredge the red mullet in breadcrumbs and place in the oil left in the pan. Fry in olive oil in a well-heated pan. Fried red mullet cooks quickly, so watch that it doesn’t overcook.

   

   When the red mullet has fried to a golden crust, turn the fish over and fry until done.

   

Serving

1. It’s best to arrange the finished side dish along the edge of a large plate and put the fried red mullet in the center. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices.