I was mulling over Mediterranean seafood recipes and got inspired by a certain dish I had seen on Tonia Buxton's Cypriot Kitchen of sauteed red mullet with rose petals, Going with that Greek note, this particular recipe was dreamt up- crispy red skinned fish and tomatoes on a citrus spiked orzo salad, complemented with the robust flavors of hazelnut and chorizo- this could be a perfect Mediterranean themed dinner party main. Nothing can compare with the beauty of red mullet but substitute with barramundi (a.k.a bhetki) if you have to.
Crispy skin red
mullet on lemon dill orzo with pan roasted tomatoes and hazelnut chorizo crumbs
Cook orzo in
boiling salted water. Add (torn stale pita + garlic + hazelnuts + diced chorizo
+ parsley) into a food processor and pulse into coarse crumbs. Toast in pan
with olive oil with (salt + pepper) and remove. Season a fillet of red mullet
and pan fry skin side down, turning it after 2 mins. Add in cherry tomatoes and
saute, removing fish when cooked. Season tomatoes and deglaze with white wine,
simmering until it has evaporated. Blend (dill + lemon zest + olive oil) and
dress orzo with it. Spread orzo on plate, top with fish and spoon over
tomatoes. Finish with a scattering of chorizo hazelnut crumbs.
