James Martin's barbecued mackerel with ratatouille

It’s the start of June and the sun’s shining so we're back in the vegetable patch at James’ house. This week, he's cooking up a delicious ratatouille using homegrown vegetables from his garden. It goes with just about anything, but today James is lighting up the barbecue to grill some delicious mackerel.

Barbecued mackerel and fish parcels with ratatouille

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the fish parcels:

200g monkfish cut into 2 pieces

100g clams

100g mussels

1 mackerel fillet cut into 2 pieces

1 lemon sliced

Splash of water

Few tarragon leaves

Few sprigs fennel tops

Salt and pepper

For the mackerel

4 mackerel, head removed and gutted

Few sprigs parsley

Salt and pepper

50ml olive oil

For the ratatouille

2 tbsp olive oil

1 red onion, peeled and diced

½ garlic clove, sliced

1 red pepper, diced 1 cm

1 courgettes, cubed 1 cm

1 aubergine, cubed 1 cm

3 tomatoes, diced 1 cm

1 small bunch of basil, torn

Salt and pepper

Method

Heat the barbecue until hot and the coals have turned white.

To make the fish parcels, make 2 large squares of tin foil ,then cover in baking parchment.

Pop the herbs on the bottom and top with monkfish, mackerel, clams and mussels. Add all the remaining ingredients and season.

Seal the parcels tightly and put on the BBQ for 8 to 10 minutes, open the parcel to serve.

To make the mackerel, debone the mackerel from inside out by following the rib cage with a filet knife all around the joint. Using scissors, cut along the backbone and pull out. Repeat with the remaining fish.

Stuff with some of the parsley and lemon slices, season then sit on foil and secure in a BBQ basket .

Place the fish onto the BBQ and cook for 2 to 3 minutes flip over and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.

To make the ratatouille, heat a large non stick pan to a medium heat, add the oil then fry the onion for 1 minute.

Add the garlic and pepper and cook for 1 minute, then add the courgettes and cook for 30 seconds.

Finally add the aubergines, tomatoes, season and cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes. Finish with the basil.