Mackerel with Heritage Tomatoes and Coriander
This is such a little summer sizzler and available in Castle Bow restaurant.
If you see heirloom (heritage) tomatoes at the farmers market or somewhere reputable, snatch them right up. Their shelf life is a lot shorter than your conventional tomato and they taste as good as they look. For me, they have a much nicer perfume.
We leave ours out at room temp and simply add salt, pepper and rapeseed oil – nothing else. Simple is best!
Ingredients
Mackerel x 1 fish
Heritage tomatoes x 200g or 1 of each
Salad leaves
Coriander x 100g bunch
Shallots x 2
Chilli x 1
Cream x 100 ml
Method
- For the puree (if you don’t have a blender just make a pesto) pick all the leaf from the stem of the coriander and keep the stalk. Chop the leaf finely and leave to side.
- Blanch in boiling water until the leaf breaks between your fingers then refresh in cold water and squeeze off.
- In a saucepan sweat off your chopped shallot, chilli (chopped with seeds in) and coriander stalk. Add cream and simmer until shallots are soft. Add both together and blend. Place in the fridge.
- Brine for Mackerel in 20 percent (for 2000g water use 400g of salt). Place filleted mackerel in the brine for 20 minutes (this can be a universal brine for all fish). Once 20 minutes is up wash off and place in fridge.
- To serve, simply slice the tomatoes and arrange on plate, dress salad leaves and grill the mackerel.
Chefs Tip
- One of my favourite family sharing salads in the summer is tomato, basil pesto and Mozzarella. When all are ripe and fresh it’s simply perfection.
- If you have loads of tomatoes going too ripe, slow cook them down in an oven at 120c for a soup or base for pizza.
