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Pan-Seared Red Mullet with...Pan-Seared Red Mullet with Saffron Bouillabaisse Emulsion and Confit Fennel

Name: Pan-Seared Red Mullet with Saffron Bouillabaisse Emulsion and Confit Fennel
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 4 wild Mediterranean red mullet fillets (approx. 140g each), scaled and pin-boned; 2 Florence fennel bulbs, quartered, fronds reserved for garnish; 300 ml premium cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil; 250 g fresh littleneck clams, purged and scrubbed; 120 ml dry Mediterranean white wine (such as Vermentino); 2 French shallots, finely brunoised; 0.5 g premium Greek or Spanish saffron threads; 80 g cold unsalted European butter, cubed; 60 g pitted Kalamata olives, finely minced and dehydrated; 1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced; 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed; Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper to taste

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Cuisine

Mediterranean

👥

Servings

⏱

Prep Time

40 mins

🍳

Cook Time

35 mins

⭐

Difficulty

Hard

Crisp-skinned Mediterranean red mullet served over slow-braised citrus fennel, enriched with a velvety saffron-clam jus emulsion and delicate dehydrated Kalamata olive soil.

MediterraneanHard

Ingredients

•4 wild Mediterranean red mullet fillets (approx. 140g each), scaled and pin-boned

•2 Florence fennel bulbs, quartered, fronds reserved for garnish

•300 ml premium cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

•250 g fresh littleneck clams, purged and scrubbed

•120 ml dry Mediterranean white wine (such as Vermentino)

•2 French shallots, finely brunoised

•0.5 g premium Greek or Spanish saffron threads

•80 g cold unsalted European butter, cubed

•60 g pitted Kalamata olives, finely minced and dehydrated

•1 Meyer lemon, zested and juiced

•2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

•Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked white pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

01
Prepare the olive soil: Spread the minced Kalamata olives onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and dry in an oven preheated to 95°C (200°F) for 2 hours until crisp, then gently crush into coarse soil.
02
Confit the fennel: Submerge the trimmed fennel quarters in 250 ml olive oil with crushed garlic, a strip of lemon peel, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Cook gently over low heat at 90°C (195°F) for 30 minutes until knife-tender. Keep warm.
03
Make the base reduction: Sweat the shallots in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until translucent. Add the white wine, saffron threads, and clams. Cover tightly and steam for 3 to 4 minutes until clams open. Discard any unopened shells.
04
Emulsify the sauce: Strain the clam-saffron liquor through a fine chinois into a clean saucier, reserving clams for another use. Over gentle heat, reduce the liquid to roughly 60 ml. Vigorously whisk in the cold cubed butter piece by piece to create a glossy emulsion. Season with a splash of Meyer lemon juice and keep warm (do not boil).
05
Sear the fish: Lightly score the skin of the red mullet fillets and pat completely dry. Heat remaining olive oil in a heavy stainless steel or cast-iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Season fillets with fine sea salt and press skin-side down with a spatula for 10 seconds to prevent curling. Sear for 2 minutes until skin is crisp and golden, flip off-heat, and allow the residual pan heat to finish cooking the flesh for 30 seconds.
06
Plate the dish: Place a piece of warm fennel confit slightly off-center on heated shallow bowls. Rest the crispy red mullet fillet across the fennel, skin-side up. Spoon the golden saffron emulsion generously around the base. Accent with olive soil, fresh lemon zest, and delicate fennel fronds.

Cooking Reviews

“

The Caprese Salad Skewers recipe was a triumph! I prepared them for a party's barbecue and everyone loved them. The basil was so aromatic, the mozzarella so fresh, and the skewers were the perfect size and an appropriate.

Michael Burns

July 1, 2023