Reef Mullet alla Livornese, stewed in a spicy tomato sauce, is one of the city's signature dishes. Reef mullet are a pretty red, but have a tremendous number of bones, and if you prefer you can use other fish, for example snapper or sea bream. The fish should in any case be quite fresh.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Reef mullet or the fish of choice, sufficient to feed your guests
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Ripe tomatoes
Preparation:
Begin by preparing the sauce: mince several cloves of garlic and a good handful of parsley, and sauté them in good extravirgin olive oil. When the garlic turns blond (don't let it brown), add a number of very ripe tomatoes that you have previously blanched, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped. Then a pinch of salt and a hint of pepper.
If the mullet are small lay them out directly in the sauce and cook them slowly over a moderate flame, without turning them, lest they break. Do however gently shake the pan every now and then so the sauce washes over them and they don't stick.
If the mullet are larger, begin by preparing the above sauce. Then take the mullet, flour them lightly, and brown them in good olive oil, together with several cloves of minced garlic and parsley. When the fish begin to brown turn them carefully lest they break, and when both sides are browned pour the sauce over them and simmer them until done. When they're done, dust them lightly with a little more minced garlic and parsley, and serve them hot, with good crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
The wine? White, a Vermentino from Bolgheri.
If the mullet are small lay them out directly in the sauce and cook them slowly over a moderate flame, without turning them, lest they break. Do however gently shake the pan every now and then so the sauce washes over them and they don't stick.
If the mullet are larger, begin by preparing the above sauce. Then take the mullet, flour them lightly, and brown them in good olive oil, together with several cloves of minced garlic and parsley. When the fish begin to brown turn them carefully lest they break, and when both sides are browned pour the sauce over them and simmer them until done. When they're done, dust them lightly with a little more minced garlic and parsley, and serve them hot, with good crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
The wine? White, a Vermentino from Bolgheri.
