It's not just fish, but also a clever Sicilian-style miso and a reimagined caponata! This striking second course from Ciccio Sultano combines beauty, playfulness, and product excellence in the name of flavor.

Cooked/Raw Red Mullet, Caponatina, Caper Sauce, and Vegetables

Ingredients for 6 people

For the sauce

100gr Shallot
100gr Spring onion
250gr Butter
90gr Capers from the Hyblean coast
300gr Potatoes
300gr Dry white wine
2lt Whitefish stock
300gr Heavy cream
90gr Lemon juice
120gr Cold butter
0,2gr Xanthan

Method

Stew the spring onion, shallot and 2 bay leaves with 250 gr of butter. Add the diced potatoes and capers. Pour the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate; then add the fish broth and lemon juice and leave to simmer for about 40/50 minutes.

After this cooking time, remove the bay leaves and blend the sauce, adding 120 gr of cold butter, heavy cream and Xanthan. Let it boil again, season with salt and black pepper, and then filter.

For the Sicilian Miso

100 gr Carob extracts: hot extraction of carob molasses through a 72-hour process.
100 gr Tomato Extract: homemade Triple extract of tomato
80 gr Water

Method

Emulsify the 3 ingredients with the help of a blender.

For the Red Mullet

6 red mullet of 150/250 g

Method

Scale and butterfly the red mullet, leaving the two fillets holding together from the tail; remove the central spine from both fillets. Make some cuts in the mullet fillets.

For the caponatina

150gr White onion
150gr Celery
20gr Pitted green olives
8gr Capers from the Hyblean coast
280gr Aubergine
35gr Triple tomato paste
120gr Red wine vinegar “Riserva Sultano”
30gr Sicilian black bee honey
(25gr) EVO oil to taste

Method

In a separate saucepan, reduce the wine vinegar by at least half.

Start with a sauté of extra virgin olive oil, diced onion and celery; add the olives and capers already desalted; add the previously diluted tomato paste; add honey and reduced vinegar.

Allow to cool, and add the fried diced aubergines.

For the vegetables

Chard
Summer courgette tops (tenerumi)
Red mustard

Method

Lightly blanch the vegetables.

Plating at the table

Arrange the lightly oiled vegetables and red mullets in a steamer; using a teapot, pour an aromatic infusion (made by an aromatic bouquet of rosemary, marjoram, sage, thyme and a sachet of jasmine tea) over the fish and vegetables, making sure to cover them on both sides.

Spread the Sicilian miso on the plate and place the warm caponatina alongside it. Place the red mullet on the miso and arrange the vegetables around it.

Finish the dish by pouring the hot caper sauce in the empty spaces.