TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Triglie alla LivorneseLivorno-Style Red Mullet
- Total
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- ★★☆☆☆
- Serves
- 2 servings
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 20 min
A signature dish of Livorno, briefly simmering prized Mediterranean red mullet in a simple tomato sauce. The rich flavor unique to red mullet, whose liver can be eaten with the fish, comes fully to the fore.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
This is the standard recipe, exactly as it’s made where it comes from — the highest Authenticity Score possible. Substituting ingredients changes this score; the app shows exactly how, ingredient by ingredient.
Ingredients (2 servings)
100Authenticity- Red mullet (or red-skinned white fish)500 g (4–6 fish)Scale the fish. The traditional method leaves the innards to enjoy the liver; remove them if preferred.
- Canned whole tomatoes300 g
- Garlic2 clovesCrush
- Flat-leaf parsley1 bunchFinely chop
- White wine80 ml
- Chili pepper1 piece
- Extra virgin olive oil60 ml
- Cake flour30 gFor dusting the fish before browning
Method
Make the tomato sauce
- 1 Crush 2 garlic cloves.
- 2 Finely chop the flat-leaf parsley.
- 3 Put 3 tbsp olive oil, the garlic and chili in a frying pan over medium heat.
- 4 When fragrant, crush and add 300 g whole tomatoes.
- 5 Pour in 80 ml white wine and reduce for 10 minutes.
Ready when
After 10 minutes, proceed when the sauce has thickened lightly.
Brown the fish
- 1 Dust the fish lightly with cake flour.
- 2 Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in another frying pan and cook each side of the fish for 1 minute to brown lightly.
Ready when
Proceed when both sides are lightly browned; the centers may still be undercooked.
Simmer in the sauce
- 1 Transfer the fish to the pan of tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 7–8 minutes, spooning sauce over them.
Ready when
After 7–8 minutes, the fish are ready when the flesh is cooked through.
Caution
Do not handle the fish, to prevent them from breaking apart.
Spoon over the sauce
- 1 Carefully transfer the fish to plates and spoon plenty of sauce over them.
- 2 Scatter with parsley to finish.
About this dish
Red mullet, or triglia, is an emblematic fish of Livorno. This vivid vermilion fish inhabits rocky Mediterranean reefs and has been called the king of fish since ancient Roman times. Records describe wealthy Romans displaying live red mullet swimming before their guests and enjoying the color changes as they died as a form of art.
Triglie alla livornese simmers these fish with garlic and tomato sauce. The preparation is not complicated; only fish whose freshness can be confirmed are used.
Livorno developed as a port where Jewish, Turkish and Greek merchants crossed paths. Among the dishes of Livorno’s cuisine, which arose in the 17th century reflecting that multicultural character, triglie alla livornese is a representative plate.
Bring the full course home next weekend.
Bring every dish to the table at its best.
Choose the dishes you want to cook, and Chef Authen handles the shopping list and the day-of schedule. The Tabelia app turns everything from starter to main into one coordinated course in your kitchen.
- One shopping listBuilt automatically from your menu and any substitutions, ready to check off.
- One timelineEvery dish’s waiting and cooking time combined into a single schedule.
- Answers beyond the recipeFrom judging the heat to adapting on the fly, Chef Authen answers with concrete criteria, not guesses.