Red mullet is a very special fish, and this recipe makes the most of it. I usually serve it with a tomato vinaigrette (a vinaigrette dressing gently warmed (not cooked!) in a pan with peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes).
1 or 2 red mullet per person, depending on size
vine leaves
fresh fennel leaves
thyme or savory
olive oil
salt and pepper
Wash and gut the fish, but leave in the liver, which is said to improve the flavour. Lay each one on a large vine leaf or two. Add sprigs of fennel and thyme, salt and pepper, and dribble olive oil over. Then wrap up, adding more vine leaves as necessary to enclose the fish. Put them in a double-sided grill (i.e. one that encloses the fish so you can turn the whole thing over without disturbing them) and barbecue them for a few minutes on each side. Serve in their wrappings. If the leaves aren’t too charred, you can eat them — otherwise just discard them.
This recipe is based on one from Mireille Johnston’s Complete French Cookery Course.