Summers here and the once underrated mackerel is back on the menu. People have woken up to the health benefits of oily fish but also the wonderful flavour that these stunning fish deliver. Mackerel with their blue and black striped backs and silver bellies were once considered just good fishing bait, now we fish just for the mackerel and treasure each and every fish! Another summertime treat is the wild gooseberry, difficult to find due to their camouflage, but once you stumble across a hedgerow with some in you will have no shortage of wild gooseberries. This classic combination of mackerel and gooseberry has to be tried and when you add a simple potato salad spiced with another excellent combination – Horseradish! You can only be onto a winner..
Why not also try our Mackerel wrapped in Horseradish Leaves with a Mustard sauce.
Grilled Mackerel Fillets, Horseradish Potato Salad and Wild Gooseberry Pickle Recipe
4 fillets Mackerel, trimmed and pin-boned
4 Tbsp Sour Cream
4 Potatoes
Small bunch of Chives
1tbsp olive oil
Wild Horseradish root, cleaned and peeled
Maldon Salt
Black pepper
Lemon juice
For the gooseberry pickle:
1 large Banana Shallot
25g Butter
75ml White Wine Vinegar
125g Wild Gooseberries
Sprig of Thyme
Catch your own Mackerel from the beach with our great selection of Sea Fishing Kits.
Firstly we should prepare the wild gooseberry Pickle. Finely chop the shallot and add it to a small pan with the butter, cook the onions gently for 2-3 minutes until they are soft. Next add the white wine vinegar and bring the mixture to the boil. Boil the vinegar until it has reduced in volume by a third. Next add the gooseberries and the thyme sprig and remove from the heat and allow it to cool (take the thyme sprig out of the pickle before serving).
Prepare your potato salad by chopping your potatoes into regular bite sized pieces, and boil them in salted water until cooked. When they have cooled, chop your chives and add them to the potatoes. Add your sour cream, season and grate as much horseradish in that you like horseradish as you can take – I like loads, the only thing that stops me is the feeling of being CS gassed. Wild Horseradish can be a little potent, but it’s worth it!
Finally to the fish, and this is the essence of simplicity itself! Lay the mackerel fillets skin side up, brush with olive oil and season.. Place under a hot grill and cook for 6-8 mins until the skin begins to crisp and colour beautifully. When cooked finish with a little lemon juice and lay the fish on top of the potato salad and good tablespoon of the gooseberry pickle.
….. Summer on a plate!
Find out what Wild Food is in season here.