The market · Fish and seafood · Southern Europe, The Middle East

Red mullets

A small, pink-red Mediterranean fish with sweet, rich flesh that tastes faintly of the shellfish it eats. The liver is a delicacy.

rich · sweet · shellfish-like

Goes with

saffronfennelblack oliveorange

Knowing it

Where to buy
Whole from a fishmonger: bright red-pink and firm, with scales intact. Fillets need careful pin-boning.
A little history
The Romans prized it, and their writers grumbled about the fortunes paid for big ones.
Worth knowing
Scale it carefully — the skin is thin. Leave the liver in when cooking whole, and pan-fry fillets skin side down until crisp, barely turning them. It stands up to strong partners: saffron, tapenade, orange.

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