Red mullet fillets, anise-flavored marinade, and a robust sauce
Lionel Giraud, the two-Michelin-starred chef at Maison Saint-Crescent in Narbonne, presents his red mullet flower: red mullet fillets from the Gulf of Lion marinated in an anise-infused mixture of pastis and star anise, arranged in a rosette shape, topped with a rich sauce made from red mullet bones and livers infused with saffron, and served with a saffron-candied potato flower.
This recipe for Red Mullet Fillets with Anise-Infused Marinade and Spicy Sauce is by Lionel Giraud, chef at Maison Saint-Crescent La Table Lionel Giraud in Narbonne. Discover the ingredients and step-by-step preparation instructions.
- Serves 6
- Prep time: 1 hour
- Cooking time: 30 minutes
- Marinating: at least 8 hours
Ingredients for Lionel Giraud’s Red Mullet Fillets
This meticulous preparation elevates the red mullet from the Gulf of Lion, an icon of Mediterranean cuisine. Every part of the fish is used: fillets, bones, and livers.
For the red mullets
- 6 red mullets
- Liquid salt
- Olive oil
For the marinade
- 1 liter of pastis
- 1 L water
- 300 g brown sugar
- 50 g star anise
For the sauce
- Red mullet heads and bones
- Olive oil
- Fennel
- Fennel water
- Pastis
- A little marinade
- Red mullet livers
- Rice flour
- Spigol
- Saffron
For the side dish
- Potato
- Butter
- Saffron
Lionel Giraud’s Red Mullet Fillets
Here are the steps to follow to make this recipe. It requires a long and meticulous preparation process: brining firms up the flesh, and cold marinating for at least 8 hours gives the fillets a lovely translucence.
Preparing the red mullet
- Scale, gut, fillet, and debone the red mullet.
- Salt the fillets for 5 minutes.
The marinade
- Flambé the pastis with the brown sugar.
- Add the fennel water and star anise, then let it steep.
- Place the red mullet fillets in the marinade and let them marinate for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Shaping the flower
- Slice the marinated fillets into thin strips.
- Arrange the strips in a rosette pattern to form a flower.
- Brush with olive oil.
The sauce
- Brown the red mullet bones and heads well in olive oil.
- Add the fennel and flambé with pastis.
- Add the marinade and fennel water.
- Make a butter sauce with the red mullet livers and stir it into the sauce.
- Reduce, blend, and strain.
- Finish with the spigol and saffron.
The side dish
- Cut the potato into a flower shape.
- Confit it in lightly saffron-infused butter.
Finishing and plating
- Place a red mullet flower in the center of the plate.
- Drizzle with hot sauce.
- Add a saffron-glazed potato shaped like a flower and a touch of freshness with herbs.
