SERVES 4

A beautifully simple dish with delicious Mediterranean flavours. Ask the fishmonger to butterfly the mullets so that each fish is boned and opened out flat, its two fillets still held together by its skin.

4 large red mullets, about 300g each, scaled, gutted and butterflied
4 tbsp olive oil
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
100g (about 20) pitted black olives, sliced
3 anchovies in olive oil
A squeeze of lemon juice
A handful of basil, leaves roughly chopped

1 Clean the fish and pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until hot. Season the fish and fry for 1½ minutes, skin-side down, then turn over and cook the other side for 1-1½ minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

2 Tip the cherry tomatoes into the pan and add the olives and anchovies. Toss over a high heat for a couple of minutes, adding a squeeze of lemon juice, and cook until the tomatoes have softened slightly. Toss in the basil and immediately divide between warmed serving plates. Place the fish on top, skin-side up, and serve at once.

Recipe taken from Cooking for Friends, published by HarperCollins on September 15. Text © Gordon Ramsay 2008

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