red mullet with mussels, garlic and parsley

triglie trifolate con le cozze

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

MAKES: 4 servings

Simple Italian cooking at its best, gorgeous whole fish is flavored with garlic and simmered in the flavorful broth made from steaming the mussels.

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Ingredients

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley
1 medium onion, quartered and peeled
2/3 cup dry white wine
2 1/4 pounds mussels (preferably cultivated, scrubbed and beards removed)
1/2 teaspoon tomato paste, preferably double-concentrate
8 red mullet (about 2 3/4 pounds), scored to bone in 3 places on 1 side
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Instructions

Finely chop 4 teaspoons parsley; set aside. Combine remaining parsely, onion, and wine in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then add the mussels and cook, covered, shaking pan occasionally, just until mussels open wide, 5 to 8 minutes.)Discard any that remain unopened after 8 minutes.)

Remove mussels from their shells; discard shells. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup (add water if necessary to make 1 cup); whisk in tomato paste. Discard solids.

Season fish with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 fish, scored-side down, and cook for 2 minutes, then turn and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon garlic. Add half of the mussels and 1/2 cup mussel cooking liquid to pan, reduce heat and very gently simmer, spooning liquid over fish, until fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes more; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons parsley. Repeat with remaining fish.

April 2010