Red Mullet With Sweet and Sour Shredded Salad

by Nigella. Featured in NIGELLA SUMMER

Introduction

We are in rose-tinted heaven here: the pink glint of the red mullet's skin flashes like a Barbie-mermaid's tail against a salad of shredded pawpaw, red chilli pepper, carrot and spring onions, sprinkled pinkly with chopped, raw red-skinned peanuts.

If you can't get hold of green pawpaw, I wouldn't worry: most pawpaws are sold so unripe that you can slice them up as they are. Only when they are properly, juicily, coral are they unusable here.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

If you can't get hold of green pawpaw, I wouldn't worry: most pawpaws are sold so unripe that you can slice them up as they are. Only when they are properly, juicily, coral are they unusable here.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

NIGELLA SUMMER

2002

Buy Now

Red Mullet With Sweet and Sour Shredded Salad — Photo by Petrina Tinslay

As featured in

NIGELLA SUMMER

2002

Buy Now

Ingredients

Serves: 2

Metric Cups

2 small red mullets (whole or filleted with skin left on)
4 tablespoons thai fish sauce (nam pla)
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon caster sugar
50 grams raw peanuts (in their red husks, chopped)
1 green pawpaw (finely julienned)
2 small carrots (peeled and finely julienned)
2 spring onions (finely julienned)
1 bunch fresh coriander (chopped)
1 long red chilli (deseeded and finely julienned)

2 small red snappers (whole or filleted with skin left on)
¼ cup thai fish sauce (nam pla)
juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon superfine sugar
½ cup raw peanuts (in their red husks, chopped)
1 green pawpaw (finely julienned)
2 small carrots (peeled and finely julienned)
2 scallions (finely julienned)
1 bunch cilantro (chopped)
1 long red chile (deseeded and finely julienned)

Method

Slash the fish if they are whole, or lay the fillets on some foil, and either barbecue, or cook the fish in a hot oven at 200°C/180°C Fan/gas mark 6/400ºF for about 10 minutes. Remove to a serving plate.
Combine all of the ingredients for the salad and scatter and pour it over the cooked fish if they are whole. If you are using fillets, spread a bed of dressing and lay the fillets on top.

Slash the fish if they are whole, or lay the fillets on some foil, and either barbecue, or cook the fish in a hot oven at 200°C/180°C Fan/gas mark 6/400ºF for about 10 minutes. Remove to a serving plate.
Combine all of the ingredients for the salad and scatter and pour it over the cooked fish if they are whole. If you are using fillets, spread a bed of dressing and lay the fillets on top.