Pan-roasted red mullet with orange butter sauce

Martin Wishart

Celebrity chef

Saturday 25 August 2012

A member of the goatfish family, red mullet has earned its place as a favourite with many top chefs.

Ask your fishmonger to remove the red mullet's unusually thick jacket of scalesphotograph: alan donaldson

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Martin Wishart

It's also often called the woodcock of the sea, due to the fact you can eat its guts and liver, as you would with the wading bird.

Of course, the fish has to be extremely fresh if you want to enjoy the flavour of the liver. Look for firm flesh, bright, raised eyes and deep-red, moist gills. Since red mullet have a thick jacket of scales on them, I suggest you ask your fishmonger to scale them for you.

Although red mullet is considered a Mediterranean fish, as a result of rising sea temperatures – that have in turn caused the migration of protein-rich zooplankton – they are now being caught as far north as the coast of Scotland. That's great news for us, as red mullet is a fish that tastes as beautiful as it looks.PAN-ROASTED RED MULLET AND ORANGE BUTTER SAUCEServes 4250g butter1 shallot, finely chopped1 clove of garlic, finely chopped1 sprig of thyme5 white peppercorns200ml white wine2tbsp white wine vinegarZest and juice of 1 orange1 bunch of spring onions50ml olive oil8 red mullet fillets1tbsp soya sauceStart by making the beurre blanc. Heat 1tbsp of the butter in a non-stick pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the shallots, garlic, thyme and peppercorns and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the shallot has softened but not coloured. Cut the remaining butter into cubes and place them in the fridge.Add the white wine and wine vinegar and bring the mixture to the boil. Continue to boil until most of the liquid has evaporated, then whisk in the butter cubes one at a time until you've used all the butter and the sauce is thick and glossy. Strain the beurre blanc through a fine sieve into a warm bowl, then season to taste with salt and add the orange juice and zest. Keep the sauce warm, but do not leave it somewhere hot as the sauce may split.Slice the spring onions on an angle. Heat a small saucepan with 25ml of olive oil and quickly fry the spring onions until they're well coloured but retain a crisp bite, the add the soya sauce and stir well.Next, place a large, non-stick pan on a medium to high heat and add the remaining olive oil. Lightly season the fish and place the fillets in the pan, skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium and cook on the skin for about 4 minutes until crispy, then turn the fish over and cook on the flesh side for 1 minute. Remove the red mullet from the pan directly to a plate, garnish with the spring onions and pour the sauce around.WINE MATCH2009, Carjcanti, Gulfi, Sicily, (Alliance Wines, £17.68)A highly complex and aromatic wine with strong flavours of vanilla, anis, almonds and orange peel besides great acidity.The Honours, 58a North Castle Street, Edinburgh. Visit www.thehonours.co.uk or call 0131 220 2513.

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Pan-roasted red mullet with orange butter sauce

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