Rouget sauce Rouille – Red mullet with rouille

A modern take on a classic french dish.

Fish soup without the soup. Traditionally, rouille is spread on croutons or mixed in the fish soup.

Red mullet is one of the multiple fish making the soup.

For a quick summer supper or lunch, here is and idea adapted from Valentine Warner’s “What to eat now – Spring and Summer”

Ingredients for 2 servings :

2 slices of fresh baguette
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large ripe beef tomatoes
1 tbsp plain flour
1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 fillets red mullets
Rouille
10 thread of saffron
1 large free range egg yolks
3 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp harissa paste
1/4 lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
50 ml sunflower oil
25 ml extra virgin olive oil

Method :

1. Start by making the rouille, infuse the saffron in 20ml of hot water for 10 mins

2. Put the egg yolks, anchovies, tomato paste, harissa and lemon juice in a blender or food processor

3. Add the saffron and its water with the peeled and roughly chopped garlic. Season with salt

4. Blend until well combined

5. Still blending, add the oils, drizzle by drizzle and blend until the rouille is smooth and glossy

6. It shouldn’t be as thick as mayonnaise but about the consistency of double cream. Mix in a few drops of hot water to thin it down if necessary. Check the seasoning

7. Preheat the grill to very hot

8. Cut 2 long diagonal slices of the baguette, brush with the olive oil and toast under the grill. Both side should be nicely browned but the middle should remain soft and moist

9. Place the croutons on a plate

10. Thinly slice the tomatoes, place them on top of the bread, each slice slightly overlapping the other. Season with S&P

11. Sift the flour onto a plate and season with S&P

12. Pour a little sunflower oil onto another plate

13. Place a small frying pan over high heat

14. Dip the fish fillets on the skin side in the flour and shake the excess off

15. Dip the fish skin down in the oil to coat through

16. Place the fish, skin side down in the really hot pan. It should sizzle and sear instantly

17. Place a plate on top to keep the fillets flat and fry for 4 mins or until the skin is crisp and golden. Reduce the heat during the cooking process if necessary

18. Lift the plate off, turn off the heat and place the fillets on the other side for about 20s

19. Lift the fish from the pan and place on top of the tomatoes

20. Dollop a generous spoonful of the rouille on the centre of each fillet and serve immediately