The All in One Ultimate Restaurant List: Jose's signature recipe

Jose Pizarro has been pivotal in popularising tapas restaurants in London; before going it alone he was head chef at Tapas Brindisa by London Bridge, as well as having worked at Eyre Brothers and the now defunct Gaudi. He currently runs Pizarro, a modern Spanish restaurant, and Jose, a tapas and sherry bar. The recipe below is easy to prepare, as the chef says: “Red mullet has such a beautiful sweet flavour that it doesn’t need anything complicated doing to it, just a simple pan-fry. I think this combination of potatoes and olives showcases the fish to perfection.”

Red mullet with sliced potatoes and black olives
3 medium potatoes, peeled
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 thyme sprig, leaves stripped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 Aragón or Kalamata black olives, pitted
10 chive stalks, chopped
4 x 400g red mullet, filleted
Olive oil, for frying


Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6.

Slice the potatoes as thinly as possible (use a mandolin if you have one), then mix with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped garlic and thyme leaves. Season, then spread the mixture over a greased baking tray. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked.

Meanwhile, blitz the olives and half the chives with the remaining olive oil in a food processor to make a thick purée.

Season the fillets. Heat some oil in a frying pan until it is medium hot – the oil should be shimmering but not smoking – and fry the mullet for 2 minutes skin-side down, then turn over and fry for another minute. You want a crispy skin.

Divide the potatoes between four plates, pop two fillets on top of each mound and, using a teaspoon, drizzle the plate with the olive purée. Scatter the remaining chives over everything and eat immediately.


From Seasonal Spanish Food by Jose Pizarro