Earth and Sea

Jonny Stewart
by Jonny Stewart
3 Servings
55 min

This is a dish I decided to make because I had the mackerel that I wanted to use. I've been wanting to learn how to fillet fish for a while and figured what better time than now.


I also love cauliflower, who doesn't? Beetroot adds a sweet earthy pop of colour to really compliment the oily mackerel fillets. And the salty capers add a lovely savoury salty umami-ness to the fish. Finished with some floral dill oil to just add something new

Recipe details
  • 3  Servings
  • Prep time: 30 Minutes Cook time: 25 Minutes Total time: 55 min
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Ingredients
Beetroot pickle
  • 2 large beetroot or 1 packet cooked unpickled beetroot
  • 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • Peppercorns
  • Garlic clove
Beetroot chunks
  • 2 large beetroot or 1 packet cooked unpickled beetroot
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
Cauliflower caper salad
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 3 tablespoons capers
  • Knob of butter
Dill oil
  • 50ml olive oil
  • 4-5 sprigs dill
Mackerel
  • 3 mackerel whole or 3/6 mackerel fillets (depending on size)
Instructions
For the pickled beetroot
Add vinegar, water, peppercorns and garlic to a pan and bring to boil
Strain into a bowl ensuring just liquid remains in bowl, discard the rest
Thinly slice half your beetroot amount and slice the rest slightly thicker
Add to pickling liquor and leave to one side
For the mackerel fillets
This step is only needed if you have whole mackerel
Remove dorsal fin from top of fish
Insert knife directly behind front fin and cut down until you feel the bones
Take the point of your knife and slice down spine
Using full length of the knife lift the flesh and cut in long strokes down the spine cutting down the body towards the tail
Remove fillet, find bones, place v cut either side of the bones and remove
For the beetroot chunks
Slice your beetroot into equal parts (roughly 1 inch)
Add to frying pan with olive oil and allow to caramelise and lightly salt, keep warm until needed
Cauliflower and caper salad
Cut cauliflower into individual florets and boil for around 5-6 minutes until just softening
Drain and add to pan with knob of butter and capers and toss through to coat cauliflower.
Keep warm and leave to one side
Mackerel
Place fillets into a dry frying pan, cook for around 4 minutes skin side down
Flip, turn pan off until cooked through
Dill oil
Combine oil and dill in a pan and warm through until just warm
Blitz
Plating
Place disks of beetroot pickle onto base, then warmed beetroot chunks
Layer with cauliflower caper salad
Add fillet on top and dot with dill oil
Tips
  • It's really important not to saw when cutting the mackerel fillets
  • Dill oil can be stored for 2 months in the fridge and can be made well in advance
Jonny Stewart
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