Pan-Seared Red Mullet with Capers, Olives, and Cherry Tomatoes
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 4 red mullet fillets
- 200g cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 60g Kalamata olives (pitted and roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp capers (rinsed and drained)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 60ml dry white wine
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 lemon (juiced, plus wedges for serving)
- Small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley (roughly chopped)
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare the fish: Pat the red mullet fillets completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides lightly with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Sear the mullet: Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, place the fillets skin-side down. Press down gently with a spatula for the first 10 seconds to prevent curling. Sear undisturbed for 3 minutes until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip gently and cook for 1 minute on the flesh side. Remove the fillets from the pan and set them aside on a warm plate.
- Build the sauce: Turn the heat down to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet if the pan looks dry. Toss in the minced garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped Kalamata olives, and capers. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes begin to soften and release their juices.
- Deglaze: Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer and reduce by half for about 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh lemon juice.
- Combine and serve: Nestle the red mullet fillets back into the pan on top of the tomato and olive mixture, skin-side up to keep the skin crisp. Warm through for 1 minute. Scatter the chopped flat-leaf parsley over the top and serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side.