Recipe: Red Mullet with Orange

Or Triglia alla Siciliana, more properly called. The basic recipe came from Alan Davidson's excellent 'Mediterranean Seafood' and is one of those splendidly satisfying throw-it-on-the-grill dishes where the fish has had almost nothing done to it beforehand. You can either use fish which are small enough for it not to be necessary to clean them, or - for a more elegant result - use the fillets taken from a smaller number of larger fish. Whichever you do, the end result is both simple and delicious.

For two.

Ingredients: 12 small Red Mullet (approximately 3" in length); Salt & Pepper; 1 tsp Peperoncino (ground dried red pepper flakes); 3 tbs Olive Oil; juice and grated rind of 2 Oranges; juice of 1 Lemon; 3 tbs Stock (either light or dark); 3 tbs White Wine; 1 cup Butter, finely diced. Finely-chopped Parsley, for garnish.

Method:

1. In a shallow dish, coat the fish with half of the Oil, along with the Peperoncino and Salt & pepper. Leave to sit for half an hour, while you make the sauce.

2. Combine all the remaining ingredients (apart from the remaining Oil) in a double boiler or simmertopf, and heat gently until the Butter has completely melted. Whisk gently to amalgamate all the ingredients.

3. Heat a heavy frying pan or iron griddle over a high flame and add to it the remaining Oil. Once very hot, quickly fry the fish for about a minute on each side, and then transfer to two heated plates to serve. Ladle the sauce over the plated fish, and sprinkle with chopped Parsley.

Serve.