Fresh Mackerel fillets on a bed of fennel, orange and parsley
(To feed two adults as a fantastic starter or lighter lunch.)
Cooking, preparation time 20 mins total.
Needed:
- A frying pan large enough for four mackerel fillets
Ingredients:
- Rapeseed oil
- A knob of butter
- Fresh Fennel bulb
- An orange (blood oranges are fantastic so do try to get these if in season)
- A hand full of fresh parsley
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Finally brown bread and butter
- Fresh mackerel in season is one of the best fishes to eat, health wise, taste wise and pocket wise! Filleted and pin boned via a ‘V’ cut ( this means there is a v shaped cut the length of the fillet where the pin bones used to be.)
Ok, let’s start.
Salad first:
Thinly slice your fennel and put in a bowl, add roughly chopped parsley and your orange segments. It’s worth getting a bit ‘chefy’ with your orange segments as it’ll really add to the look of your final dish. I’ll help with any advice needed doing this obviously.
The Mackerel:
Heat a little rapeseed oil, a couple of table spoons will be sufficient in the pan over a medium heat, before the oil gets really hot lay your pin boned fillets skin side down in the pan and add a knob of butter, this will be quick so don’t leave the kitchen yet.
Hold the pan in one hand just off the main heat and baste the flesh side by tilting the pan so the melted butter and oil pool in the bottom of the pan then spoon the oil and butter into the V shaped cuts, this will cook the fish both sides without having to turn the fillets over and risk breaking them up. By taking all the bones out, the fillets understandably become quite fragile so this is important for serving.
After about three or four minutes cooking and basting continually, the fillets will be ready. Use a fish slice to carefully remove them from the pan and lay them on some kitchen paper to rest for a minute skin side up to ensure crispy charred skin.
Portion the salad onto plates drizzle with olive oil and gently lay two fillets per person on top of the salad skin side up. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle some sea salt flakes and coarse, freshly ground black pepper to serve. A slice of thinly cut brown bread and butter on the side of your plate will be an ideal accompaniment.
