Mackerel Escabèche

It’s time we understood that fish have seasons as well. Mackerel is a still not the most popular of fish, I just can’t understand why. On the outside it presents the most stunning kaleidoscope of blues and silvers, a fishy Van Gogh night sky. The flesh is every bit as good as tuna and jam packed wit goodness. Maybe the bones and blood put people off who think fish should be white and anodyne. Escabèche though definitely of Spanish origin, has a home in the Languedoc and Provence area of France (as well as being exported to the Americas)

Maquereaux en Escabèche (SERVES POUR 4 starter or 2 main course)
Soused Mackerel – d’origine from Languedoc

From Languedoc

• Small saucepan and lid
• Large non stick frying pan
• Large spatula
• Dish to fit fish on one layer
• Large knife
• Chopping board
• Greaseproof paper

INGREDIENTS

• 4 x 100g mackerel fillets (ask your fishmonger to pin and bone them)
• 1 dessert spoon olive oil

• 60 gm butter
• 1 carrot
• 1 garlic  clove finely chopped
• 4 Small onions
• 1 non waxed lemon
• 30 cl white wine (Muscadet is lovely)
• 1 dessert spoon white wine vinegar
• Small bunch of parsley
• 2 thyme stalks
• 1 tea spoon of black pepper
• 1 tea spoon coriander seed
• salt

COOK

1. If you are fussy about “bits” in your food, you will need to tie up coriander, pepper & thyme in some cloth (I just leave them as it is much easier)
2. Skin the carrots and onions
3. Slice carrots, onions and the lemon into roughly 4mm slices
4. Put vinegar and wine in saucepan and bring to the boil
5. Add the butter, carrots, garlic, spices, parsley and salt
6. Simmer for 5 minutes
7. add lemon slices
8. Bring back to the boil and take off the heat
9. Heat the dessert spoon of oil in the frying pan
10. Seal the fillets on both sides briefly (couple of second)
11. place in fillets in serving dish (skin up) avoid putting them on top of another
12. Pour over the marinade
13. Now the beauty of this dish is that it is ready to eat, but I prefer cooling it down I the fridge and letting those ingredients mingle and eating it cold.

As a main course simply boil some new potatoes till soft, simply crush till just broken. Add some olive oil and chopped chives, salt and pepper