CITRUS-CURED
GREY MULLET
This curing technique can be used for most fish and will give different results based on the duration. In this recipe I cure the thin fillets of fish for about an hour which leaves it with a lovely flavour and a firm texture similar to that of salmon gravlax.
You can adjust the curing time for different results. Cure for 5 minutes for a beautifully seasoned piece of fish ready to be cooked. Cure for upwards of 2 hours-overnight for a heavily cured product that will last much longer in your fridge and can be used similarly to salt cod. A long cure may require the fish to be soaked in water before cooking with it to draw out the excess salt.
This recipe was produced as part of a collaboration series with Fish For Tomorrow . In these articles we’d like to showcase the great potential that some of the less popular, more sustainable choices of seafood have to offer. We chose grey mullet for our first set of articles because it has a pretty bad reputation locally. To find out why this is unfounded, check out FFT’s companion article here.
Before we jump into the recipe I’d also like to thank Bottarga fish shop for helping me track down the fish for this project as well as the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture for providing the fish for these recipes and articles.
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CITRUS-CURED GREY MULLET
INGREDIENTS
- 600 g Salt
- 400 g Sugar
- 10 g Coriander seeds
- 10 g Fennel seeds
- 1 lemon, zest only
- 1 lime, zest only
- 600 g Grey mullet, or other fish for curing
METHOD
- Start by toasting the spices in a frying pan over medium heat. Keep the spices moving by lightly shaking the pan. When they become aromatic, remove them into a spice grinder or a pestle and mortar. Grind lightly.
- Combine the salt, sugar and ground spices and store in an airtight container until ready to use. This will be more than enough for what you need but can be stored for the next fish you decide to cure.
- On a baking tray tray or plate large enough to comfortably hold all of the fillets in a flat layer, lay down a layer of the cure at least half a centimetre. Zest half of a lemon and half of a lime over the cure.
- Check that the fillets are free of pin bones and place them skin side up on top of the curing mixture.
- Zest the remaining citrus onto the fish and cover well with another half centimetre of curing mixture to completely coat the fish.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Rinse off the curing mixture with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- Place the fish onto a tray (ideally with a wire rack) and back into the fridge for 1 hour to dry out the surface of the flesh.
- Slice and enjoy as you would any other cured fish or alternatively check out our brandade recipe. The fishy mashed potato recipe you didn’t know you needed in your life until right now.
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