There are a lot of flavours which, even though they are delicious on their own, are even better when mixed with a different and sometimes opposite flavour. The following recipe joins together the aniseed flavour of fennel and the sweetness of red mullet with the addition of some ouzo. The result is a beautiful fish dish with a delicately flavoured sauce.

To serve four people you'll need:
4 large red mullet, scaled and cleaned
3 fresh fennels, chopped
6 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 lemons, sliced
Chicken stock
Small glass of ouzo
Butter
20 black olives [optional]

To make the dish:
1. Put the fennel into a baking tray; place the tomatoes on top followed, by half the sliced lemons.
2. Place the mullet on top and then the rest of the sliced lemons.
3. Add enough chicken stock to half cover the fish and pour the ouzo over the top.
4. Cover and put in the oven for one hour at 170 degrees.
5. After one hour, check that the mullet is cooked and pour the cooking juice from the tray into a sauce pan. Keep the fish warm. In the sauce pan over medium heat, reduce the juice from the mullet, beating in a little butter, and stirring all the time until you have a smooth thickened sauce.
6. Add a glug of olive oil and the black olives if using.
7. Pour the sauce over the fish, fennel and tomatoes and serve with a crisp green salad and a glass or two of chilled white wine.

Sit back and enjoy the delicate flavours.