Red Mullet (Raw) Calories

Red mullet is best cooked quickly, either pan-fried, grilled, or roasted. Clean and dry it first, then cook until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily; overcooking can make its delicate flesh dry.

Red mullet has a central backbone and small pin bones, so it is not completely boneless. Separate the flesh carefully from the backbone as you eat, and check portions closely before serving them to children.

To clean red mullet, slit the belly, remove the innards and gills, then rinse it briefly under cold water and pat it dry. Ask your fishmonger to clean it if you do not want to handle the whole fish.

Raw red mullet is not automatically safe to eat just because it is fresh. Parasites and bacteria can still be present; use fish specifically handled for raw consumption if making a raw dish, though thorough cooking is the safer choice.

Yes, the skin of properly cleaned and thoroughly cooked red mullet is edible. Pan-frying can make it pleasantly crisp and help hold the delicate flesh together; remove it after cooking if you prefer not to eat it.

Keep raw red mullet covered in the coldest part of the refrigerator and cook it as soon as possible, ideally within a day or two of buying it. Discard it if it develops a sour smell or a slimy surface.

Yes, red mullet can be frozen. Clean and dry the fish, wrap it airtight to limit freezer burn, and thaw it in the refrigerator before cooking. Once thawed, cook it promptly rather than freezing it again.

No. Red mullet is a different kind of fish from the grey mullets commonly sold simply as mullet. Red mullet is smaller and has delicate, sweet flesh, while grey mullet is a separate group of species.

Yes, red mullet works well served whole because its skin and bones help protect its delicate flesh during cooking. Have it cleaned first, cook it gently, and serve with care so diners can separate the flesh from the bones.