The red mullet is a nightmare for any cook. It’s a fish with tiny bones, a tendency to spoil just because, and of course, when cooked, it loses its skin and falls apart at the mere sight of the spatula meant to flip it over.
However, when red mullet is fresh and not overcooked, it’s good… no, it’s delicious. The briny note instantly transports you to a Mediterranean cove. And so you forget the 10 minutes per fish needed to fillet it perfectly and debone it. This time, we’re taking revenge by crumbling red mullet to fill a Chinese brioche.
Serves 4
- 4 red mullet
- 1 apple (cooking / ‘crumble’ variety : Canada, Braeburn, or similar)
- 1 heaping tablespoon of crème fraîche (you know what a heaping spoonful of crème fraîche is)
- 2 sprigs of tarragon
- A pinch of saffron threads
- 250g flour
- 10g baker’s yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Let’s start with the brioche dough:
Knead together the flour, crumbled yeast, sugar, 4g of salt, and let it rest (proof for about 50 minutes).
Next, fillet the red mullet… there’s no trick here, just a sharp knife, patience, and finishing off with tweezers.
15 minutes before the proofing time is up, dice the apple into a fine brunoise and sauté it over medium heat in a large pan with a bit of neutral oil. Once the apples are lightly golden, push them to one side of the pan and sear the red mullet fillets for about a minute on each side.
Once seared, crumble the red mullet into the apple mixture ( ha ha ! revenge ! ) , then add the crème fraîche and let it melt for a few seconds. Add the saffron, crumbling it as you go.
Mix gently, then add the tarragon leaves and remove from heat. Let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the brioche dough into 4 rounds of about 15 cm in diameter.
Fill each brioche with a quarter of the mixture, close them up, and let them proof for 10 to 15 minutes before steaming for 25 minutes.
