Mackerel, sautéed potatoes and warm salsa

Mackerel, sautéed potatoes and warm salsa

Fresh seafood is a real treat and this mackerel dish is one that I was inspired to cook after catching my own mackerel on the North Norfolk beach of Salthouse. Sea fishing from the beach is a great why to while away the hours, relax and enjoy some of the British wildlife even if it doesn’t involve actually catching any fish, the norm for me. The Norfolk coast is home to many seals and if you go fishing they will pop up and have a look round at you from only a few feet from the beach. I’m convinced they pop up and actually laugh at me. Once you’ve caught your fish you need to clean and fillet it. If you’re buying it from a fish counter though they’ll be more than happy to do this for you. Mackerel is a strong tasting fish an so can take the bold flavours of the warm salsa this is served with. I guess the dish is a take on fish and chips with the sautéed potatoes. My niece and nephew call potatoes cooked like this ‘hots’, they’re a firm favourite.

Method

1. Start your Big Green Egg and set it up with the cast iron grid and the cast iron griddle at 180C (direct cooking).
2. Take your small potatoes, cut them in half, and add them to a pan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
3. When the potatoes are almost cooked and only feel a tiny bit hard still when prodded with a knife, drain them and allow them to steam dry.
4. Once dry place on your preheated cast iron griddle on the flat side. Cover generously in olive oil.
5. When the potatoes are starting to take some colour, fry the onions and garlic in olive oil either on you hob or in a cast iron pan in your Egg until they become translucent.
6. Add the chopped chilli to the onions and garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.
7. Add the tomatoes to the onions, garlic and chilli and leave to boil.
8. Turn the potatoes and season with a little Maldon salt.
9. Take the mackerel fillets and add then to the Cast Iron Griddle, skin side down. They will curl up a little.
10. Cook the mackerel without turning until nearly all of the flesh is cooked all the way through.
11. Turn the mackerel and cook on the flesh side for no more than 30 seconds before removing from the grill.
12. Take off the salsa, crush the whole tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the juice of the lime and sprinkle with the chopped coriander.
13. Plate up with your potatoes on the bottom, salsa over them and then the two fillets, skin side up, on top.
14. Drizzle the whole dish with olive oil.

Notes

If you can catch your own mackerel give it a go. The best way to kill them is to put a finger in the mouth and a thumb on the back of their neck and pull the head backwards breaking their neck. Don’t use this method though if you catch a bass, they’ve got very sharp teeth.