Ingredients

• 4 large banana shallots
• finely chopped
• 150ml/5fl oz white wine or water
• 5 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 75g/2¾oz caster sugar
• sea salt
• 4 x 400g/14oz red mullet
• scaled
• filleted and pin boned
• 4 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
• drizzle of olive oil
• vegetable oil
• for deep-fat frying
• 5 tbsp gluten-free flour
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 plum tomatoes
• blanched
• peeled
• deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp white wine shallots
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
• 4 salted anchovy fillets
• finely chopped
• 50ml/2fl oz verjuice
• 150ml/5fl oz olive oil
• 2 tbsp gluten-free flour
• 2 banana shallots
• thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• thinly sliced
• handful of fresh tarragon

Directions

• For the white wine shallots
• put the shallots in a bowl. Put the white wine
• white wine vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat and add a pinch of sea salt. Pour the hot pickling liquor over the shallots
• make sure they are submerged and leave to cool. Pour into an airtight container and leave in the fridge for 12 hours before using. Store the shallots in a sterilised jar in the fridge
• they will keep for 3 months.
• For the red mullet
• put the fish in a shallow dish. Mix the garlic
• tarragon
• olive oil and a pinch of sea salt together in a bowl. Spoon over the fish
• cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
• For the dressing
• mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C. Alternatively
• heat it in a deep heavy-based frying pan until a breadcrumb sizzles and turns brown when dropped into it. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
• For the garnish
• put the gluten-free flour on a plate and coat the shallots and garlic in it
• tapping off any excess. Deep-fry the shallots and garlic in the hot oil for 2 minutes
• until golden brown and crispy. Remove
• drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
• Deep-fry the tarragon for about 1 minute
• until crispy
• taking care as the oil will split a little. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
• To cook the red mullet
• scrape off any marinade
• then dip the fish in the flour to coat and tap off any excess. Carefully lower the fish into the hot vegetable oil and deep-fry for 6-7 minutes
• until cooked and crispy. Carefully lift out the fish and drain on kitchen paper then season all over with salt. (If your deep-fat fryer isn’t big enough
• cook the fish in two batches
• keeping the first batch warm in an oven heated to 100C/80C Fan/Gas ¼ while the second batch is cooking).
• Serve the mullet on a warm plate
• garnished with the crisp tarragon
• shallots and garlic
• with the dressing in a bowl on the side.