Mackerel Recipe With Beetroot, Horseradish & White Chocolate

Beetroot and mackerel are a classic combination, as this mackerel recipe proves. In James Sommerin's recipe, both ingredients are treated in two ways - the mackerel seared and turned into a tartare, the beetroot pickled and its juice reduced. White chocolate and horseradish are added for further levels of creativity in this seafood dish

Mackerel recipe

Starter

Medium

1 hour 20 minutes plus pickling time

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Method

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Dice the beetroot into 1cm pieces

Bring the beetroot juice, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf, caster sugar and apple juice to the boil, adding the diced beetroot after the mixture starts boiling. Place in a covered container and leave to pickle in the refrigerator for approximately 24 hours

Pickling beetroot

The longer the beetroot mixture is left to pickle, the better. It can be prepared days in advance

After the beetroot is done pickling, take a third of the pickling liquid and reduce by half in a saucepan. Reserve the reduction in the fridge, separate from the rest of the mixture

Preheat the oven to 120°C/Gas mark 1. Melt the butter and mix together with the milk powder, plain flour, cornflour, caster sugar and a pinch of sea salt. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Leave to cool

Finely grate the fresh horseradish and mix together with the white chocolate and milk powder in a saucepan until the chocolate has melted

Fold in the crumb mixture. Place on a baking tray and leave to cool in the fridge

To make the mackerel tartare, finely chop the mackerel fillets and mix with the olive oil, lemon juice, finely chopped shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper. Leave for 5 minutes before serving

In a hot pan, sear the mackerel, skin-side down, in a little olive oil for 30 seconds to a minute, then turn and finish in the pan for another 30 seconds to a minute. The mackerel should be slightly undercooked and translucent in the centre

Quenelle the mackerel tartare

Quenelling

To quenelle, hold a spoon with the rounded bottom up. Place the far edge of the spoon into the mixture with the near edge close to the surface but not touching it. Drag the spoon towards you, twisting your wrist up. The mixture should curl up with the shape of the spoon and fold into an egg shape

10.

Smear the beetroot reduction onto each plate and place a mackerel fillet on top. Place the tartare on the side of the plate, scattering over the pickled beetroot chunks, the biscuit crumb and some wildflowers and a drizzle of olive oil

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Ingredients

Mackerel fillets

6 80g mackerel fillets, skin on
1 tbsp of olive oil

Crumb mixture

40g of butter
35g of milk powder
40g of plain flour
15g of cornflour
20g of caster sugar
sea salt

White chocolate

75g of fresh horseradish
100g of white chocolate
35g of milk powder

Mackerel tartare

4 fillets of fresh mackerel, skinned
1/2 lemon, juiced
50ml of olive oil
2 shallots
salt
black pepper

Beetroot reduction

100ml of beetroot juice
1 beetroot
150ml of balsamic vinegar
1 bay leaf
45g of caster sugar
225ml of apple juice

To plate

1 handful of edible flowers
olive oil

Equipment

Juicer

James Sommerin's mackerel recipe is a creative take on mackerel fillets. Pickled beetroot, horseradish and white chocolate add a daring taste to the mackerel.