Serves: 4
This is a great Mackerel starter, as you can prepare most of this in advance. You only have to plate up then cook the Mackerel on the day so you can spend more time with friends and family.
Ingredients
- 4 Portions of Fresh Mackerel
MINT OIL
- 30gm Mint leaves
- 30gm Parsley leaves
- 150ml Olive Oil
PICKLED RED ONION
- 1 Red Onion
- 150ml Cider Vinegar
- 100gm Sugar
- Pinch of Salt and Pepper
- Star Anise
TOMATO DASHI
- 500gm ripe Tomatoes
- 200gm Cucumber
- 100gm Spring Onions
- 250ml Dashi stock
- 1 tbsp Red Miso
- 30ml Mirin
- 30ml Shaohsing wine
- 30ml Chinese vinegar
To serve you will also need a few Tomatoes and some Parsley cress.
Allergens: For those of you with allergies please remove or substitute accordingly.
Instructions
Make in advance.
Pickled Red Onion.
- Thinly slice a small red onion.
- Put the vinegar, sugar, salt, and star anise into a pan and bring to the boil.
- Add the onions and remove from the heat. Set aside and leave to cool.
Once it is cool the onions and the pickling vinegar can be put in a jar and kept in the fridge. - This can be made well in advance.
Mint Oil.
- Blanche the mint and parsley leaves for 30 seconds in boiling salted water.
- Drain and refresh immediately in iced water. Take the leaves out of the iced water and using a cloth or kitchen paper squeeze dry.
- Put the herbs and olive oil in the blender for about 1 minute then leave it to rest for 3-4 hours.
- Now pass this liquid through a muslin cloth to make your mint oil.
- This can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Tomato Dashi.
- Make your Dashi Stock (from scratch or from a packet – either is fine).
Roughly chop the ripe tomatoes, cucumber, and spring onions, put into a blender and add
the Dashi Stock the Miso, Mirin, Vinegar and Wine and blend until liquified. - Now strain the Dashi liquid through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl or measuring jug.
Strain a second time through a muslin cloth into a bottle or jar.
The liquid should now be clear like a Consommé, with a deep Umami and strong tomato flavour. - This can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
On the Day.
Remove everything from the fridge at least an hour before serving.
- One hour before cooking trim your mackerel into neat portions (at least 75gm for a starter) and
season with sea salt.
- Thickly slice your tomatoes and then cut each slice in half. Place the tomatoes into a shallow bowl and salt generously, drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside.
We used different coloured heritage tomatoes for the photograph, but your favourites will be fine. - Make up your serving bowls/plates.
Place three thick half slices of tomato in the centre of a bowl/plate and top with pickled red onion and some parsley cress.
- Pour the dashi around the tomato base and then drizzle a little of the mint oil into the dashi.
- Lightly oil the mackerel and put under a hot grill, cook until the skin is crispy and is beginning to bubble up a little, as in the photo.
- Remove and place on top of the tomatoes
Serve immediately and Enjoy.
This recipe was created by Pete Thompson for Steve Hatt Fishmongers