Red mullet with grilled lettuce and bacon vinaigrette Recipe

2 x 500g/1lb 2oz red mullet (or any other fish) gutted and scaled
5 tbsp olive oil
2 pinches sea salt
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
handful pitted black olives, halved
1 courgette (about 200g/7oz), diced
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (sweet pimentón)
handful of frozen peas, defrosted
3 tbsp sherry vinegar
100g/3½oz baby spinach
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ red onion, sliced
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
50g/1¾oz smoked pancetta or bacon, diced
pinch of sweet paprika
1 tbsp honey
2 heads little gem lettuce, sliced in half lengthways
4 tbsp extra virgin oil

Wash the red mullet in cold water and pat dry with a cloth or kitchen paper.
Place a pan wide enough to hold the fish over a medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Season both sides of the fish with salt. Fry for about 5 minutes on each side until crisp and cooked through.
Meanwhile, heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the garlic and cook until starting to turn golden-brown. Add the olives and cook for 30 seconds before adding the courgette. Fry for 1 minute and add the sweet pimentón and peas. Give the pan a good stir and, after 30 seconds, pour in the sherry vinegar and let it reduce for a few seconds. Add the baby spinach and season with salt and pepper. Add the chives.
For the vinaigrette, put the onion in a small bowl and pour the sherry vinegar over. Set aside to marinade.
Dry-fry the pancetta or bacon in a small pan over a high heatuntil crisp. Sprinkle over the sweet paprika and honey. After 30 seconds, pour over the onions. Deglaze the pan by scraping off any cooked on bits from the bottom of the pan. Set aside for a few minutes.
For the lettuce, heat a pan over a high heat until it is as hot as possible. Place the lettuce halves in the pan, cut sides down, and cook for 1 minute, then drizzle with the oil and continue to fry for no longer than 1 minute. They will darken quite quickly without losing their raw texture.
Place the cooked lettuces on a serving plate, grilled sides up, and season with a little salt. Pour the hot vinaigrette over the top. Serve the fish with the vegetables alongside.