Whole red mullet cooks gently in tomato, garlic and parsley in our Triglie alla termolese.
Whole red mullet cooks gently in tomato, garlic and parsley in our Triglie alla termolese.
Red mullet has an elongated body and a pair of barbels beneath the lower jaw. In Italian fish names, triglia di fango is Mullus barbatus and triglia di scoglio is Mullus surmuletus. For our tomato preparation, keep the fish whole so it can be lifted from the sauce in one piece.
Use 800 g of whole fish after the scales, entrails and gills have been removed. Check the cavities, rinse briefly, drain and pat dry. This is cleaned ready weight, so allow for the discarded parts when arranging the fish at the counter.
Triglie alla termolese brings whole fish together with peeled tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and parsley. Start the sauce before adding the mullet; the fish finishes in its gentle simmer.
Arrange the fish in one layer. If increasing the recipe, use a wider pan or divide it between pans rather than stacking the fish. Move the pan gently instead of stirring through the mullet, and lift each fish carefully with its sauce.
Ask for whole red mullet, cleaned with the heads and backbones retained. Read the species name on the fish label. Choose fish of comparable size for the same pan; fillets and grey mullet, or cefalo, are different from the whole red mullet required here.
Follow the fishmonger’s storage and use-by instructions. Keep the cleaned fish chilled while the tomato sauce starts, then bring it directly to the pan. Keep raw fish and its utensils separate from food ready to serve.
No. Weigh 800 g after scaling and gutting the fish and removing the gills. The heads and bones remain.
No. Whole red mullet retains its backbone and fine bones. Remove them carefully while eating.
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