Baked Red Mullet Stuffed with Anchovies and Fennel

• fennel↗1 великий або 2 середніх

  bulbs

• red onion↗1

  thin wedges

• extra virgin olive oil↗2 tbsp

  plus extra for filling and drizzling

• lemon↗1

  juiced, plus wedges for serving

• medium whole red mullet4

  about 350 g each, gutted, scaled and cleaned

• crusty bread↗

  for serving

• anchovies↗50 g

  drained of oil and finely chopped

• fresh white breadcrumbs↗50 g
• garlic cloves↗2

  finely grated

• plum tomato↗1

  finely chopped

• flat‑leaf parsley leaves↗1 tbsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C with convection or gas 6). Remove the fronds from the fennel and set them aside. Trim the thick ends of the stems, cut the onion into quarters and trim the base of each piece.

2. 2

   Slice the fennel stems into thin wedges (about 5 mm at the thickest part). Arrange them in a baking dish or a shallow fire‑proof pot (30 cm diameter) together with the onion, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil and add the lemon juice. Roast for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

3. 3

   In a large bowl combine the anchovies, breadcrumbs, minced garlic, chopped tomato, parsley leaves, 1 tbsp olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. Mix until you obtain a moist but not runny filling.

4. 4

   Then rub the interior cavity of each mullet with salt and pepper, and carefully stuff it with the prepared filling, pressing it onto the flesh so it stays well inside.

5. 5

   Place the stuffed mullets on the partially roasted vegetables, sprinkle again with fennel fronds, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and bake for another 20 minutes, until the soft‑white color near the bone becomes matte and the vegetables are tender.

6. 6

   Serve hot, garnished with lemon wedges and crusty bread.