INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

4 Red mullets, cleaned, with heads & tails left on
Large pinch of sea salt
1 Lemon cut in half
2 Fl oz/60ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large garlic clove finely chopped
1lb/450g Ripe San Marzano tomatoes, blanched
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Large pinch of Chilli flakes
8floz/250ml Sunflower oil
8oz/225g Plain flour

To Serve:

Bunch of Italian parsley leaves only, coarsely chopped.
1 Lemon cut in wedges

To Prepare

Soak the fish for 30 minutes in a bowl of cold water containing the sea salt & squeezed lemon halves.

To prepare the sauce, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the garlic & sauté for several seconds, add the tomatoes, season with salt & pepper & the chilli flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes and stir with a wooden spoon.

Drain the fish, rinse under cold water for at least a minute, & pat them dry with paper towels.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep sauté pan over a medium heat, & when the oil is hot, lightly coat the fish with flour & cook them two at a time, for 2 minutes on each side or until the fish is light in colour.

Transfer them to a serving platter lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Fry the remaining fish.

Arrange the fish in the frying pan containing the tomato sauce & simmer for 1 minute on each side.

Serve the fish with the sauce, sprinkled parsley and the lemon wedges.

Buon appetito!