Fresh catch of the day is grey mullet
This morning I had to go Argostoli, the capital of Kefalonia, to do some errands. The centre of town is a bit like a mini Athens, with lots of parking issues, hooting and people who appear to have forgotten how to drive. Despite all this, I love spending the day there, as it’s the perfect excuse to explore the various food shops. I can hardly drag myself away from the spice emporiums, delis and the many fruit and vegetable markets.
My particular favourite though, is to stroll along the seafront, where the fishermen in their little blue and white fishing boats are all lined up, selling their fresh catch of the day. Today I was a little late, and I was worried that all the catch would have already been snapped up. But, as luck would have it, there was still one solitary little boat bobbing in the water. The resident giant turtle swimming nearby was also a definite sign that the smell of fish was in the air. And indeed it was – and the fisherman was selling one of my favourites, grey mullet.
Pan-fried grey mullet is perfect for a dinner party or just a simple supper
After much haggling and bartering, I finally managed to persuade the fisherman that I really didn’t need 3 kilos of fish, and bought (to his great disappointment) a grey mullet that weighed a meagre(!) 1.3kg… Whilst he very kindly descaled my fish, he caught me up on the general news of the week. This is always an essential part of any sales transaction on the island. He also finally rewarded the impatient turtle with a fishy treat, hurling the guts and gills overboard.
If you haven’t tried grey mullet before though, I really recommend you do. It has beautiful firm flesh and such a lovely earthy flavour. Not only is it ideal for grilling whole on the barbecue, it is also delicious baked, or just simply pan-fried. A large grey mullet like the one I bought is great for a dinner party. If there are just two of you, just fillet and portion the fish, and freeze the rest for another day. It’s so convenient having fresh catch in the freezer.
The garden is my inspiration
At the moment the Greek garden is full of blushing red tomatoes, crisp cucumbers and fresh herbs. The perfect base for a fresh salsa. Olives and capers also go so well with fish, so I decided to give the salsa a bit of a Greek twist. I absolutely love roast potatoes of any kind, and this recipe for garlic and oregano crushed new potatoes is an excellent summer compromise. It’s not heavy at all, yet still full of flavour with delicate crispy potatoes. Then, I’ve simply seasoned and pan-fried the grey mullet till just cooked. Pop it on the potatoes with a dollop of the salsa for an absolutely mouth-watering meal.
Tips for cooking your pan-fried grey mullet
I generally use very good quality extra virgin olive oil to pan-fry fish (with a drop of butter for flavour if you like), as I try to avoid highly processed oils such as canola oil. For frying, use a heavy-based pan, and make sure you really heat the pan properly. The oil should be just smoking when you add the fish. You should also try to only flip the fish once. Fry it first on the side that you will present it on the plate (I like to serve it skin side up).
Pan-Fried Grey Mullet with Greek-Style Salsa & Garlic New Potatoes
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Ingredients
- GARLIC NEW POTATOES:
- 400g new potatoes, skins on
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- Pinch dried oregano
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- GREEK-STYLE SALSA:
- 200g tomatoes
- 50g mild red onion
- 50g cucumber, peeled
- 60g kalamata olives, pitted
- 1 spring onion
- 20g capers, rinsed and dried
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
- Few sprigs coriander, roughly chopped
- Few sprigs flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Squeeze of lemon juice
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- PAN-FRIED GREY MULLET:
- 2 grey mullet fillets (about 150-200g each)
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil for frying
- Leftover dressing from the potatoes
- TO SERVE:
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
GARLIC OREGANO NEW POTATOES:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
- Place the potatoes in pot of cold water* and bring to the boil. Cook until they are almost done (about 20-30 minutes), and then drain. Crush each potato gently with a fork and place in a baking tray. Don’t be too rough, as you want them to still hold their shape.
- Whisk together the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Generously brush the crushed potatoes with the garlic oregano dressing. Reserve the leftover dressing for the fish.
- Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes. If they are getting too dark, turn the oven down to 180°C (160°C fan).
GREEK-STYLE SALSA:
- Dice the tomatoes and remove any visible seeds. Place in a sieve to drain the juices.
- Finely dice the onion and cucumber and thinly slice the olives and spring onion. Roughly chop the capers and place all these in a bowl together.
- Stir through the lemon zest, coriander, flat-leaf parsley and drained tomatoes. Add a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
PAN-FRIED GREY MULLET:
- Slice the skin of the fish fillets to make two diagonal slits. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides.
- Drizzle some olive oil* in a heavy-based frying pan and heat on high till just smoking.
- Fry the fish skin side first for about 2-3 minutes (depending on how thick the fish is). The skin should be crisp and golden.
- Flip the fish over and brush generously with the leftover garlic oregano dressing from the potatoes. Cook for about 1-2 minutes on the second side, until just cooked.
TO SERVE:
- Place the fillets on the crushed new potatoes and top with a generous dollop of salsa.
- Sprinkle with the sliced spring onions.
Notes
*When boiling potatoes always start with with cold water, as this helps them cook evenly. *I use extra virgin olive oil to pan-fry fish, as I try to avoid highly processed oils such as canola oil. Contrary to popular belief, very good quality extra virgin olive oil actually has a very high smoking point.
