Fish of the Month
The fish of the month: red mullet, the "woodcock of the sea"
The quintessential rockfish, red mullet offers flesh that is at once noble, briny, and generous. Gérald Passedat likes to preserve all of its character, from the freshly caught fish through to its cooking, to reveal in turn its briny verve, its delicacy, and its texture.
Grilled whole in its scales, it expresses all of its intensity. Filleted and served in a star anise nage, it reveals a finer facet and a particularly succulent consistency.
A few notes on choices I made: I rendered bécasse des mers as "woodcock of the sea" (the mullet's traditional nickname, since like the woodcock it's often cooked ungutted) — you could also drop it or keep the French in italics if the audience is Francophile. Nage I left as the culinary term, which reads well on an upscale English menu; "star anise broth" would be the plainer alternative.
Discover this iconic Mediterranean fish in Chef Passedat's kitchen. With the Rockfish Red Mullet, star anise consommé, the Chef explores the delicacy of its flesh and the subtle mineral signature that makes it so singular.
The dish unfolds in two movements. The first plate pairs a veil of red mullet with the freshness of tomato, brightened with garum, olive oil and fresh tomato water. The red mullet then reveals itself fully in the main plate, accompanied by a quenelle of dill chlorophyll, a few treasures and a star anise consommé.
A composition of pure finesse, where freshness, iodine and anise notes answer one another with precision.
