The most popular item on the menu in the fish restaurants along the long Lebanese coast are the deep-fried red mullet that come accompanied by a tahini sauce and very thin crisp deep-fried bread. They are fried whole, coated with flour, but at home I find it easier to pan-fry red mullet fillets.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
For the Tahini Sauce
Preparation
Step 1
First, make the sauce. Stir the tahini in the jar before using. With a fork, beat the tahini with the lemon juice. It will thicken to a stiff paste. Add the water, beating vigorously until you get the consistency of a pale, runny cream. Then add a little salt and the garlic, if using, and pour into a serving bowl.
Step 2
Season the red mullet fillets with salt and pepper and fry in the oil over medium-high heat, preferably in a nonstick frying pan, for about 2 minutes on the skin side. Turn and cook the other side for half a minute more.
Step 3
Serve the fish at once, with the lemon wedges, and let people pour the tahini sauce on the side.
variation
Step 4
Season 4 fish fillets (5 to 7 ounces each), such as cod or haddock, with salt and white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. Dip the fillets in flour to coat them all over, and shallow-fry in sizzling olive oil, turning over once. Drain on paper towels and serve with the tahini sauce.
