Red mullet fried on the skin with tomatoes and wild rice

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 4 fish(s) (red mullet)
• 2 beefsteak tomatoes
• 1 shallot(s)
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• ½ bunch chives
• 12 basil leaves
• 1 cup(s) rice (wild rice)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• pepper
• Salt
• Sugar
• lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Cook the rice according to the instructions. Blanch the tomatoes, peel them, remove the thin parts with the seeds, and dice the flesh. Dice the shallot and garlic into tiny cubes. Finely chop the chives and basil. Have the fishmonger scale and fillet the red mullet. Check the fillets for bones and remove them with tweezers or tongs. Heat the olive oil vigorously in a pan, add the fillets skin-side down, and fry for about 2 minutes. The meat should have turned slightly white around the edges above the skin. Carefully turn the fillets and remove the pan from the heat. The skin-side should be slightly browned and bright red. The residual heat from the pan will cook the fish through in about 2-3 minutes. Now add a little salt to the skin-side. Heat a second pan and melt the butter in it. Sauté the diced shallots and garlic. Add the diced tomatoes, chives, and basil, and mix everything together. Remove the pan from the heat, as the tomato pieces should only be warmed, not boiled. Season with pepper, salt, sugar, and lemon juice and divide among the warmed plates. Place two fillets on each of the concasse, with the rice next to it, and decorate with three chives, forming a triangle with overhanging corners. Serve with a glass of Chablis.