Baked Red Mullet with Asparagus and Taggiasca Olives, a cooking method I really love, simple, delicious, and doesn’t require culinary skills. This way, we can also avoid adding fats, even vegetable ones like extra virgin olive oil, which can be added raw only after the fish has finished cooking. At this point, I would say it can also be considered a diet recipe and can become a complete meal if, as in this case, we add vegetables to enrich the flavor. The only difficulty in preparing this dish might come from having to clean the fish, but if you have a trusted fishmonger, then it will be really easy to get started. If you can’t find fresh fish, you can always use good quality frozen fish.
If, like me, you enjoy foods cooked en papillote, then you must try the following recipes:
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.3 lbs red mullet or pagellus
- 8 asparagus
- 3 tbsps Taggiasca olives
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 slice lemon
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Baking Dish
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Peeler
- 1 Paper Towels
Preparation
After opening the bunch of asparagus, select 8/10 of similar size. Remove the tough parts and peel the end of the stalk with a peeler. Wash them thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt and dry them with paper towels.
Take the fish out of the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature. Since the fish will already be cleaned and scaled by your trusted fishmonger, all that remains is to rinse it quickly under running water. Dry it well, season with salt to taste, and insert half a garlic clove and the lemon slice, cut in half, into the belly.
Also add the asparagus, arranging them on the sides and adjust the salt. Place the other half of the garlic clove and the Taggiasca olives on the surface of the fish, letting the oil from the olives drizzle over it (in this case, do not discard the oil from the olives, as they are from my little trees, preserved in excellent extra virgin olive oil). At this point, all that’s left is to wrap it up in the parchment paper.
Twist the edges of the parchment paper as if wrapping candy and fold them under the body of the fish. Then place it inside a baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 392°F, allowing it to cook for about 20/30 minutes. Be careful not to exceed this time to prevent the red mullet from becoming tough.
Serve immediately the Baked Red Mullet with Asparagus and Taggiasca Olives, but not before sprinkling it with fresh parsley leaves.
Tips
Of course, like any other food, red mullet can be stored in the refrigerator for one or two days, but its flavor won’t be quite the same.
Store it in an airtight container, preferably glass or ceramic.
If this happens, I suggest using it to dress pasta, perhaps adding some sautéed cherry tomatoes.
It can also be frozen, but the result will always be the same.
Remember to always thaw in the refrigerator, never at room temperature.
