Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 Mackerel fillets, pin bones removed
- 2tbsp plain flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Pared zest and juice of 1 orange
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE ESCABECHE
- 1 Carrot, peeled and very thinly sliced
- 1 onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinl sliced
- 200ml white wine
- 200ml water
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- Half tsp fennel seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- A big sprig of thyme
- 1 dried red chilli
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 80ml red wine
- Vinegar, either white wine or cider vinegar
METHOD:
- To make the escabeche, mix together all the ingredients in a wide pan. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and leave the mixture to cook over a very gentle heat for 10 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper and leave to one side.
- Season the mackerel fillets with a little salt and pepper, then dust them in the flour. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and try the fillets over a medium heat for 2 mins each side until cooked through (you may need to do this in batches), then place in a non reactive dish.
- Bring the escabeche back to a simmer, then pour over the fish along with all the flavourings. Stir in the strips of orange zest and the juice and leave to cool, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours. The longer the mackerel sits in the escabeche with the vegetables, the more the flavour develops.
- Serve the fish along with some of the dressing and vegetables and some excellent bread, if you fancy.
Recipe from Mark Diacono, published by Quadrille.