Whole grilled thicklip grey mullet, spaghetti with clams, and bottarga snow

Ingredients

• 1 piece whole thicklip grey mullet, gutted and scaled, ultra-fresh
• 600 g fresh clams
• 160 g durum wheat spaghetti
• 30 g mullet bottarga
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 cl dry white wine
• 1 piece organic untreated lemon
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 piece shallot
• 0.5 bunches fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 piece fresh mild red chili
• 2 tbsp coarse sea salt
• to taste fine salt
• to taste whole black peppercorns

Method

1. Purge the clams in cold, well-salted water for 30 to 45 minutes. Swirl them gently, then rinse several times until the bottom of the bowl is completely free of sand.
2. Take the mullet out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature, then pat it thoroughly dry, inside and out, with paper towels. The skin should feel completely matte and dry to the touch.
3. Score the sides of the mullet with 3 to 4 diagonal cuts about 5 mm deep, taking care not to cut into the bone. Season inside and out with salt and black pepper, then stuff the cavity with parsley, lemon zest, part of the crushed garlic, and fennel seeds.
4. Prepare the aromatics: finely dice the shallot into 2 mm cubes, thinly slice the remaining garlic, chop the parsley, cut the chili into thin rings, and finely grate the bottarga. Keep each ingredient separate.
5. Heat a grill pan or cast-iron plancha over high heat until it reaches about 230 °C. Lightly brush the fish with olive oil, then lay it on the hot surface. Grill undisturbed for 6 to 7 minutes, until the skin releases easily without sticking and shows dark, defined grill marks.
6. Carefully flip the mullet using two wide spatulas and continue cooking the second side over medium-high heat (around 200 °C) for 6 to 7 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 52 °C at the center (the flesh near the bone should turn opaque and pearlescent). Transfer to a wire rack and let rest for 5 minutes loosely tented with foil.
7. Bring 3 liters of salted water to a rolling boil (100 °C). Add the spaghetti and cook for exactly 7 minutes, keeping it very firm (about 2 minutes shy of package al dente directions).
8. Meanwhile, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat (around 150 °C). Add the shallot, garlic, chili, and remaining fennel seeds; sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until the garlic is translucent and fragrant without any browning.
9. Increase the heat to high (around 200 °C), add the clams to the skillet, and immediately pour in the white wine to deglaze. Cover immediately and steam vigorously for 3 to 4 minutes, shaking the pan twice, until all the shells have opened wide. Transfer the clams immediately to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
10. Discard any clams that remain closed. Simmer the remaining cooking juices over medium heat for 1 minute to reduce by one-third. Add the drained spaghetti and toss vigorously for 2 minutes with 3 tablespoons of pasta cooking water to create a silky, glossy emulsion that coats the noodles.
11. Remove from the heat. Fold in the clams, chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon juice, and half of the grated bottarga. Toss for 30 seconds off the heat so the bottarga gently melts into the warm sauce without curdling.
12. Place the rested grilled mullet in the center of a serving platter pre-warmed to 50 °C. Arrange the spaghetti and clams around it. Dust everything with the remaining bottarga snow, a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon zest, and parsley.
13. Serve immediately. Fillet the mullet at the table and spoon the clam emulsion over each portion of fish to finish the dish.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

1214.1 kcal

Protein

93.64 g

Carbohydrate

85.14 g

Fat

49.16 g

Fibre

7.67 g

Calcium

17.98 mg

Iron

0.53 mg

Magnesium

13.31 mg