Note: I’m not sure if we have neratzi in Australia, but they are a bitter/sour orange. If you can find them, use them. If not use lemons – you can also be daring and use grapefuit. In Greece fennel comes like dill in bunches and the original recipe used this. I have adapted the fennel as we know it in Australia. I know it works well because at home I have adapted other recipes this way.
Ingredients:
4 large red mullets, scaled and cleaned (get your fishmonger to do it for you)
2 fennel roots (leave the green leaves on)
3 oranges peeled and cut into slices sideways so you have a round slice looking like star
2 slices of neratzi or one lemon, sliced (use the left over to garnish)
100 ml olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 160°C.
2. Slice fennel and clean and chop the green leaves fine as you would dill, keep the green part aside.
3. Lay out the fennel root in an oval oven dish.
4. Lay the mullet on top and cover with the orange and the neratzi/lemon.
5. Sprinkle with the finely cut green part of the fennel and add salt and pepper.
6. Pour the olive oil on top.
7. Bake for about 25 minutes.
8. Garnish with sliced lemon and serve hot.