Phil Vickery's simple mackerel with tarragon mash and soy sauce
Phil's back from his holidays in Cornwall and he's in the kitchen with a dish that will bring the last taste of summer to the table for tonight's dinner.
Two quick and easy ways with mackerel: pan-fried mackerel with spring onion and tarragon mash AND mackerel with spicy beetroot curry.
Serves: 4Preparation time: 20 minutesCooking time: 8-10 minutes, including resting time
Ingredients
8 large mackerel fillets, V boned4 tbsp plain flour6 tbsp olive oil500g mashed potatoes50g salted butter, melted100mls milk, roughly2 heaped table spoons chopped fresh tarragon8 spring onions, finely slicedSalt and ground black pepper50mls dark soy sauceChopped tarragon
Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan
Season each mackerel fillet with a little salt and pepper, the dust lightly in flour
Place skin side up into the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes
Turn over the fillets and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the whole pan with foil. Leave for 8 minutes or so.
Place the hot mash into a bowl and add the butter and milk and beat until smooth and creamy
Add the tarragon and onions and season well with pepper
Serve the rested fillets on top of the mash in deep bowls, then pour over a little soy sauce and little more chopped tarragon
Beet curry and crème fraiche
Serves: 4Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Ingredients
8 large mackerel fillets, V boned4 tbsp plain flour6 tbsp olive oil2 tbsp oil (vegetable or olive oil)½ tsp cumin seeds½ tsp black onion seeds½ tsp fenugreek¼ tsp dried chilli with seeds½ tsp turmeric1 red onion, finely chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped2 tsp tomato puree200mls strong veg or fish stock500g cooked beetroot, any colour, cut cubes150g thick crème fraicheA few leaves of fresh coriander
Method
For the mackerel filets: Heat the oil in a large frying pan
Season each mackerel fillet with a little salt and pepper, the dust lightly in flour
Place skin side up into the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes
Turn over the fillets and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the whole pan with foil. Leave for 8 minutes or so.
For the beet curry: Heat the oil, then add all the spices and cook over a low heat for 1-2 minutes
Next add the onions and garlic and cook until they start to take a little colour on at the edges
Stir in the tomato puree and stock and bring to the boil
Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce roughly by half the original volume
Add the beets and cook again gently until the stock is well reduced and coating the beetroot nicely, not too thick
Check the seasoning and adjust if needed
Remove from the heat and add about 50g crème fraiche and swirl through before serving