Marinated mackerel with green olive & celery dressing

Mackerel is undoubtedly a British superfood but it can leave your kitchen full of pungent aromas. You can avoid this by lightly pickling instead of cooking it, like in this fresh-tasting recipe

Prep:10 mins
Cook:5 mins
plus 1 hr pickling and overnight marinating

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 638
fat 58g
saturates 10g
carbs 8g
sugars 8g
fibre 1g
protein 20g
salt 1.8g

Ingredients

2 mackerel, filleted and pin bones removed
½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted
150ml olive oil
3 banana shallots, sliced into rings
1 ½ tbsp golden caster sugar
juice ½ lemon
150ml red wine vinegar
10 green olives, pitted and halved
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced at an angle
1 tsp chopped celery leaves
lemon wedges, to serve
crème fraîche, to serve (optional)

Tip

Mackerel

As an oily fish, mackerel spoils quickly. Try to buy it from a fishmonger on the day you are going to use it. Look for clear, bright eyes, firm bodies and pink or bright-red gills. Avoid mackerel with dull, wrinkled skin.

Method

Lay the mackerel fillets, skinside down, in a shallow dish, then sprinkle with the fennel seeds and 1 1/2 tbsp flaky salt, making sure you cover the fish evenly. Cover with cling film and put in the fridge for 1 hr, then remove, wash off the salt and fennel seeds, and pat the fish dry with kitchen paper.
Return the fish to the shallow dish, skin-side up, pour over the olive oil and scatter over the shallots. Put the sugar, lemon juice and vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, then pour the hot liquid over the fish. Leave to cool, cover in cling film and put in the fridge to marinate overnight.
The next day, remove the fish from the fridge 1 hr before serving to bring it to room temperature, then transfer to a serving plate. Stir in the olives, celery and celery leaves. Leave for a few mins, then serve with lemon wedges and a couple of spoonfuls of crème fraîche.