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Four whole red mullet in a glossy tomato sauce topped with parsley, served in a dark skillet on a wooden table

Braised Triglie alla Livornese in Tuscan Tomato Sauce

Whole red mullet seared then braised in a garlicky, wine-spiked tomato sauce, a straightforward Tuscan coastal dish ready in under an hour.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian (Tuscan)
Calories: 191
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the fish
  • 4 Red mullet, whole, cleaned and scaled (about 180 g each)
  • 1 tsp Fine sea salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 3 tbsp All-purpose flour for dusting
For the tomato sauce
  • 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil divided
  • 3 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp Red chili flakes
  • 120 ml Dry white wine
  • 800 g Canned whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 4 tbsp Fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped, divided
  • Lemon wedges for serving; optional

Method
 

Sear the fish
  1. Pat the red mullet dry with paper towels and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Dust each fish lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch / 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat. Sear 2 fish at a time for 2 minutes per side until golden, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining fish and 1 more tbsp oil.
Build the sauce and braise
  1. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and chili flakes to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant, don't let the garlic brown.
  2. Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer for 2 minutes until reduced by half.
  3. Add the crushed tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
  4. Return the seared fish to the skillet, spooning sauce over the top. Cover and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, until the flesh flakes easily with a fork and reaches 145 F / 63 C at the thickest part.
  5. Sprinkle with half the parsley, taste the sauce and adjust salt. Plate the fish with sauce spooned over, finish with the remaining parsley and lemon wedges.

Notes

  • Scale and gut fish before cooking, or ask the fishmonger to do it.
  • Reduce sauce until spoon-coating thick before returning fish to the pan.
  • Pull fish at 145 F / 63 C internal temperature.
  • Crush canned tomatoes by hand for better texture.
  • Sear fish in batches to keep the skillet hot.