For Mediterranean fish lovers, the time has come to celebrate a choice species: the rock mullet. A modest-sized fish – around 20 cm – but with an intense, particularly briny aroma, it embodies autumn as the fry mature at two times of the year: now or at the end of spring. Favoring these two seasons ensures optimal product quality and protects the resource. On my menu, I have always respected this seasonality. In the kitchen, its fine and delicate flesh calls for a gourmet simplicity; even if working with it starts with a tedious step.
AI Index: Library of Mediterranean Knowledge
The rock mullet, a small fish for great cuisine
22-med – November 2025
• The rock mullet demands seasonality and precision: Chef Guillaume Sourrieu reminds us why November-December is the ideal time to cook it.
• Between technical gestures (skin chips, minute deboning) and respect for the resource, the article links culinary creativity and sustainable fishing.
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I will talk to you about a fish that I have always cooked with respect: the rock mullet – not to be confused with the red gurnard that some careless fishmongers also call mullet. Because while the appearance of these two species is similar, the flesh of the gurnard, much more common on the Mediterranean and African coasts, is extremely bland in comparison. The rock mullet, therefore, is a small rock fish, discreet, that will reveal great power on the plate. For those who love the sea and cuisine that is rooted in a territory, it is a choice companion.
Seasonality, freshness…
The big mistake would be to take this fish out of its evolutionary rhythm, to cook it at any time of the year. Like truffles or mushrooms that mark autumn, respecting seasonality is crucial! The mullet is very present from November until the end of December on our coasts. It is therefore easy to find on the stalls right now. To determine its freshness, you need to check the brightness of its eye, which should be lively, the color of its gills – red – and its flesh, which should be firm and slightly moist.
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