Species sheet · The Edible Ocean
Golden grey mullet
A golden mullet that loves shallow water.
- Whole grilled with rosemary
- Crispy fried
- Lemon-marinated ceviche
- In French
- Mulet doré
- Scientific name
- Chelon auratus
- In the water
- A coastal fish of temperate and subtropical seas, found in shallow and brackish waters to 20 m.
- Season & buying
- Late summer and autumn, when specimens are at their fattest.
- Common length
- ~30 cm
- How to identify it
- Grey-blue back with golden reflections
Eyes covered by an adipose membrane
Small underslung mouth
On the plate
Firm, slightly oily flesh with a pronounced briny taste.
Avoid: Forgetting to gut it quickly, as the flesh takes on off-flavours fast.
Golden grey mullet has been prized since antiquity; Romans sometimes raised it in saltwater ponds.
In Umay recipes
One Umay recipe calls for it.
