Grilled Whole Red Mullet on the Big Green Egg

Ingredients

2 Whole Large Red Mullet, gutted and cleaned

Fresh rosemary or bay leaves

Salt and pepper for seasoning

Purple sprouting broccoli

Baby potatoes

Preparation

Set the Big Green Egg for direct cooking to a temperature of 200-220c, I have used Alder wood charcoal here for Stag Charcoal in Hertfordshire.

Take the fish out of the fridge at least half an hour before cooking to get to room temperature, I usually spend the time lighting and getting the bbq to temperature.

Deeply slash the fish on each side, place a small sprig of rosemary in the slashes and season with salt and black pepper to your taste. Rub with a little oil.

The potatoes and purple sprouting broccoli are drizzled with a little olive oil and seasoned for cooking on the Traeger wood fired pellet grill at 200c.

Cooking

When the bbq is up to temp place the fish on the grill for 6-8 minutes each side with the lid down.

When the skin is crisped it will lift off the grill without sticking and allow you to turn it, I now use specific fish slices to do this which makes the operation much easier. If the fish sticks it is not ready to turn and will tear the skin.

The vegetables were also cooked over alder wood pellet on the Trager grill. The potatoes should take 40 minutes to roast turning once, the broccoli around 20 minutes.

Check the fish with either a temperature probe where you are looking a 65°c internal temperature or when the flesh is opaque and moving away from the bones easily.

The Alder charcoal here give a steady controllable burn with an even heat and adds a flavoursome earthy complimentary note to the red mullet. Buy the fish is season and at their best and they are definitely ones of my favourite fish.

Alternative methods here are to leave whole or fillet and to dust in seasoned polenta and grill on a cast iron plancha directly over charcoal another favourite way which gives crispy coating adding a texture to the fish.