Mullet in marinade
4 servings
60 minutes
Marinated mullet is a dish that embodies the spirit of Odessa cuisine: rich flavor, simple ingredients, and the sea in every note. This recipe comes from ancient times when fishermen sought to preserve their fresh catch by adding zest through marination. The light acidity of vinegar, the sweetness of carrots and tomato puree, and the spicy notes of cloves and allspice create a balanced flavor spectrum that unfolds after several hours of marinating. The tender and juicy mullet is fried to a golden crust and then soaked in an aromatic sauce. The dish is perfect as a cold appetizer, awakening the appetite and evoking memories of the endless expanses of the Black Sea. It is served with greens and fresh bread, complemented by a glass of white wine.
1
Prepare all the ingredients.
2
Slice the onion into half rings.
- Onion: 1 head
3
Cut the carrot and celery into thin strips.
- Carrot: 1 piece
- Celery stalk: 1 piece
4
Place the chopped vegetables in a saucepan, pour in the tomato puree, and put it on the heat.
- Tomato puree: 150 g
5
Add broth, crushed garlic through a press, bay leaf, allspice, and cloves.
- Fish broth: 200 ml
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Allspice peas: 3 pieces
- Carnation: 2 pieces
6
Cook until the vegetables are soft.
7
At the end, add salt to taste, vinegar, and 50 ml of vegetable oil.
- Salt: to taste
- Vinegar 9%: 1 tablespoon
- Vegetable oil: 80 ml
8
If the mullet is large, cut it into steaks, while the small one can be left whole.
9
Salt and pepper the fish and coat it in flour. Shake off the excess flour.
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Wheat flour: 50 g
10
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and fry the fish on medium heat on both sides until cooked.
- Vegetable oil: 80 ml
11
Pour the marinade over the prepared fish and place it in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours to marinate well.
- Tomato puree: 150 g
12
Serve the marinated mullet as a cold appetizer.