Roasted red mullet with tapenade, samphire, and rice
Red mullet is one of my favourite mediterranean fish. Tapenade and red mullet is a combo that screams Provençal summer! I love cooking this dish in France or here in the UK whenever I feel homesick.
Red mullet is readily available in the UK, but if you can't find it at your local fishmonger, you can use sea bream instead. Serve one small sea bream between two people and cook for a bit longer than stated below—probably around 25 minutes. With either fish, this recipe is pretty quick, very easy, and absolutely delicious!
Use the moreish tapenade available in our store or feel free to make your own. I'd also recommend a splash of our basil flavoured olive oil to season just before serving to add an extra Mediterranean touch! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Serves 4
Red Mullet: 4 (200-250 each)
Tapenade: 50g
Samphire: handful
Wholegrain rice: 200g
Extra virgin olive oil: 100ml
Extra virgin olive oil flavoured with basil: 1 tablespoon
Rosemary: 2 small sprigs
Garlic: 2 cloves
Lemon: 1
Butter: 50g
Salt
Pepper
Instructions:
Prep: 15min / Cook: 20min / Ready to eat in: 35min
First, boil some water and cook the rice following the packet instructions. Set aside while you prepare the rest.
Second, pre-heat the oven to 220°C. Lay the the fish in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Add some rosemary and half a garlic clove inside the fish, leaving the remaining sprig of rosemary, the quartered and squeezed lemon, and another crushed clove of garlic in the tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Then, boil some water, add the samphire and cook for about 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside and get back to the fish.
Put the tray of fish in the oven and cook for 12 minutes or until cooked throughout.
Mix the rice and the samphire in a big pan, add 50g of butter and cook at a low heat for about 2 minutes or until the mix is warm and the butter is mixed through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Plate the rice and samphire. Serve the fish whole or remove the fillets and lay them on top of the rice and samphire. Add 2 teaspoons of tapenade on each fish, or 1 teaspoon on each fillet, and drizzle with some basil flavoured olive oil.
Serve with a glass of rosé, from Provence bien sûr! Bon appétit!
