Red mullet with saffron baked orzo & broad beans
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 2 - 4
Ingredients
- 2 whole red mullet , scaled and cleaned
- pinch saffron
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch of fennel seeds
- 1 red onion , finely sliced
- handful of flat-leaf parsley , stalks and leaves finely chopped
- ½ lemon , zested
- ½ fennel bulb , finely sliced
- pinch dried red chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 tbsp golden sultanas
- 150g orzo
- 100ml fino sherry
- 180g cherry tomatoes , halved
- 100g broad beans , blanched and peeled
- olive oil
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 slices of lemon , halved
Method
- STEP 1
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and take the mullet out of the fridge to come up to room temperature. Boil a kettle and put the saffron in a small bowl. Pour over 1 tbsp boiling water and stir to release the colour and flavour.
- STEP 2
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fennel seeds, red onion, parsley stalks, lemon zest and fennel. Season, add the chilli and cook, stirring, for about 5 mins or until the fennel is taking on some colour. Add the pine nuts, sultanas and orzo and cook for a few more mins, then deglaze with the sherry and the saffron and its liquid. Cook for a couple of mins longer until the liquid has evaporated, then stir through the parsley leaves, tomatoes and beans and transfer to a lightly oiled roasting tin. Cover with 250ml boiling water and cook in the oven for 15 mins.
- STEP 3
Preheat the grill. Season the fish inside and out and put the thyme and lemon inside. Rub with olive oil, place on a piece of baking parchment, then grill for about 3-4 mins on each side, depending on their size. Remove and rest. Once the pasta is ready, divide it between plates and top with the fish.