Red mullet seared skin-side down, served with a concentrated orange, rosemary, and balsamic reduction mellowed with a touch of creme fraiche. The fish remains the star, set over meltingly tender fennel that echoes its briny, slightly nutty notes.
Ingredients
- 320 g fresh red mullet fillets with skin on, pin-boned
- 2 pieces untreated juice oranges
- 60 g full-fat heavy creme fraiche
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 piece fresh fennel bulb
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar of Modena
- 80 ml low-sodium vegetable broth
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- to taste fine salt
- to taste freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch sweet paprika
Method
- Prepare the fish: thoroughly pat the red mullet fillets dry with paper towels. Run your fingers over the flesh to check for pin bones and remove any with tweezers. Lightly season the flesh side with salt, then refrigerate for 15 minutes; the surface must stay dry, never damp.
- Prepare the oranges: finely zest a little peel from one orange, then squeeze the juice from the fruits. Keep the juice and zest separate. The zest should be fragrant, without any bitter white pith.
- Prepare the fennel: trim the tough stalks, reserve a few delicate fronds for garnish, and slice the bulb very thinly. Heat a skillet with part of the olive oil over medium heat (around 300 °F / 150 °C). Add the fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook gently for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly, until tender, glossy, and translucent, without taking on color.
- Build the aromatic base: add a small sprig of rosemary to the fennel and sweat for 1 minute until fragrant and piney. Pour in the vegetable broth, partially cover, and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes until two-thirds of the liquid has evaporated; the fennel should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Discard the rosemary.
- Prepare the orange reduction: in a small saucepan, combine the orange juice with the balsamic vinegar and a pinch of orange zest. Bring to a simmer (around 195 °F / 90 °C) and reduce over medium heat for 6 minutes, until the liquid reduces by half and takes on a glossy, syrupy consistency.
- Finish the sauce: lower the heat to very low, stir in the creme fraiche, and whisk gently for 1 minute at a gentle simmer. Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter in pieces to emulsify into a velvety sauce at 150 °F (65 °C) that coats the back of a spoon. Season with freshly ground black pepper, adjust the salt, and keep warm in a water bath without exceeding 160 °F (70 °C) so the cream does not split.
- Very lightly flour the fish: spread the flour on a plate, press only the skin side of the fillets into the flour, then tap off all excess. The fish should not be coated; the flour is only there to help the skin crisp up.
- Cook the red mullet: heat a nonstick skillet with the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 °F (175 °C). Place the fillets in the skillet skin-side down, press gently with a flat spatula for the first 30 seconds to prevent curling, then cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the flesh turns opaque two-thirds of the way through.
- Finish cooking: delicately flip the fillets flesh-side down and finish cooking off the heat for 30 to 45 seconds, just until the center is pearlescent (an internal temperature of 118 to 122 °F / 48 to 50 °C). Transfer to a warm plate and let rest for 1 minute.
- Plate the dish: arrange the tender fennel in the center of warm plates as a delicate bed. Set the red mullet fillets on top, skin-side up. Spoon the orange, rosemary, and creme fraiche reduction around the base without covering the crispy skin.
- Garnish and serve: finish with the reserved fennel fronds, a dusting of sweet paprika, and a final touch of orange zest. Serve immediately, while the red mullet skin is still crisp and the sauce is glossy.
Nutrition
Per serving
- Energy
- 634.8 kcal
- Protein
- 35.43 g
- Carbohydrate
- 21.37 g
- Fat
- 47.03 g
- Fibre
- 7.67 g
- Calcium
- 56.53 mg
- Iron
- 0.58 mg
- Magnesium
- 14.03 mg