Red mullet with saffron baked orzo & broad beans

• whole red mullet2

  scaled and cleaned

• saffron↗pinch
• olive oil↗2 tbsp tbsp
• fennel seedspinch of
• red onion↗1

  finely sliced

• flat-leaf parsley↗handful of

  stalks and leaves finely chopped

• lemon↗½

  zested

• fennel bulb↗½

  finely sliced

• dried red chilli↗pinch

  flakes

• pine nuts↗2 tbsp tbsp
• golden sultanas↗2 tbsp tbsp
• orzo↗150g g
• fino sherry↗100ml ml
• cherry tomatoes↗180g g

  halved

• broad beans100g g

  blanched and peeled

• olive oil↗
• thyme↗2

  sprigs

• lemon↗2 slices of

  halved

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and take the mullet out of the fridge to come up to room temperature. Boil a kettle and put the saffron in a small bowl. Pour over 1 tbsp boiling water and stir to release the colour and flavour.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fennel seeds, red onion, parsley stalks, lemon zest and fennel. Season, add the chilli and cook, stirring, for about 5 mins or until the fennel is taking on some colour. Add the pine nuts, sultanas and orzo and cook for a few more mins, then deglaze with the sherry and the saffron and its liquid. Cook for a couple of mins longer until the liquid has evaporated, then stir through the parsley leaves, tomatoes and beans and transfer to a lightly oiled roasting tin. Cover with 250ml boiling water and cook in the oven for 15 mins.

3. 3

   Preheat the grill. Season the fish inside and out and put the thyme and lemon inside. Rub with olive oil, place on a piece of baking parchment, then grill for about 3-4 mins on each side, depending on their size. Remove and rest. Once the pasta is ready, divide it between plates and top with the fish.