Stuffed mullet

Name: Stuffed mullet
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Sénégal
Ingredients: 1 large mullet prepared for stuffing by a fishmonger, intact skin with head and tail plus 600 g recovered boneless flesh; purchase weight depends on yield; 60 g soft bread crumb; 60 ml pasteurized milk; 1 egg, 50 g without shell; 300 g onion, 100 g for stuffing and 200 g for sauce; 300 g crushed tomatoes; 3 garlic cloves; 15 g washed parsley; 30 ml oil, 10 ml for stuffing onion and 20 ml for sauce; 150 ml water; ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, adjusted

🐟 Mullet skin refilled with minced fish, bread and herbs, baked in tomato sauce.

Ingredients

1 large mullet prepared for stuffing by a fishmonger, intact skin with head and tail plus 600 g recovered boneless flesh; purchase weight depends on yield
60 g soft bread crumb
60 ml pasteurized milk
1 egg, 50 g without shell
300 g onion, 100 g for stuffing and 200 g for sauce
300 g crushed tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
15 g washed parsley
30 ml oil, 10 ml for stuffing onion and 20 ml for sauce
150 ml water
½ teaspoon salt and pepper, adjusted

Preparation

Have the fishmonger gut, scale and remove flesh/backbone, keeping skin suitable for stuffing. Check the 600 g flesh for bones and refrigerate skin and flesh.

Soften bread in 60 ml milk. Cook 100 g chopped onion in 10 ml oil 5 minutes, spread out and cool promptly until lukewarm.

Briefly mince cold fish with garlic and parsley. Mix in bread with milk, egg, cooled onion and seasoning. Keep stuffing cold.

Heat oven to 180°C. Cook remaining 200 g onion in 20 ml oil 5 minutes, add tomatoes and 150 ml water and simmer 5 minutes. Pour into baking dish.

Fill skin without stretching, close with culinary needle/thread and lay in sauce. Bake any surplus stuffing in a separate ramekin.

Bake about 35–45 minutes depending on thickness. Check at least 74°C for 15 seconds at several thick stuffing centers and extend if needed. Check separate stuffing too.

Remove all thread and confirm no needle remains. Cut four portions with a clean knife, check bones and serve with hot sauce. Head and tail are not flesh portions.