BBQ mackerel with quick pickled cucumbers and charred lemon salad
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
For the fish
- 4 mackerel fillets, skin on, boned
- 2 tablespoons oak smoked water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Pure sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
For the cucumber
-
1 medium cucumber, cut lengthways with water seeds removed, sliced into half moon shapes
-
1 banana shallot, very finely diced
-
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-
1 lemon, juice and zest
-
½ teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
-
1 teaspoon Pure Sea Salt
-
1 teaspoon caster sugar
To serve
-
Handful of soft herbs (dill, mint or parsley), chopped
- 2 large unwaxed lemons, halved
- Watercress, washed
- Ice
This recipe is for mackerel fillets but whole mackerel also barbecues well. The fish cooks beautifully on a barbecue, but if the weather isn’t looking kind then a griddle pan will do the job nicely. Either way, the flavours will be intensified by our Oak Smoked Water.
Serve the fish warm with the pickled cucumbers, charred lemons and Pembrokeshire earlies, boiled and lightly crushed with butter and sea salt.
If you’re cooking directly on the barbecue make sure the grill is clean to stop it from sticking.
.
Whisk together the olive oil, smoked water, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the mackerel fillets to the mixture and leave to marinate for a minimum or 10 minutes.
While the fish quickly marinates, make the pickle. In a medium sized bowl mix all of the ingredients together with your hands to make sure the cucumber is completely coated in the liquid.
Prepare the charred lemons by cooking on a high heat (on the bbq / griddle) until blackened.
Whether you are barbequing or pan frying, place the fish skin side down and cook for 3-4 minutes before carefully flipping for a further 2-3 minutes on the other side. Take care when turning to ensure that the skin doesn’t stick to the BBQ/ pan.The skin should be crisp and golden and slightly charred.
Serve the fish on top of the watercress, top with the chopped herbs with pickled cucumbers and serve with half a charred lemon each.
IMAGE + RECIPE: Elly Kemp