Cured mackerel, fermented gooseberries, elderflower
- Starter
- Medium
- 4
- 1 hour 15 minutes
PT1H15M
Michael Bremner serves cured mackerel with fermented gooseberries and a fresh, zingy elderflower dressing for a beautifully summery dish. He uses yoghurt whey to ferment the gooseberries, so you will need to plan ahead for this dish. Follow Michael's guide to making whey for best results.
Ingredients
Cured mackerel
- 2 large mackerel , as fresh as possible
- 75g of flaky sea salt
- 20g of caster sugar
Fermented gooseberries
- 250g of gooseberries
- 250ml of yoghurt whey
Elderflower dressing
- 6 lemons , juiced
- 6 limes , juiced
- 1/2 mild red chilli , deseeded
- 1/2 cucumber , peeled
- elderflower cordial, 25–50ml
- 1.5g of xanthan gum
To garnish
Equipment
- Blender
- Fish tweezers
Method
1
Wash the gooseberries, remove any stalks and place in a sterile sealable container. Pour in the whey, ensuring the berries are completely submerged, and seal the container. Store at room temperature for at least 7 days
- 250g of gooseberries
- 250ml of yoghurt whey
2
On the day of serving, fillet the mackerel (you can ask your fishmonger to do this for you, if preferred), season with salt and sugar and set aside to cure for 1 hour
- 2 large mackerel , as fresh as possible
- 20g of caster sugar
- 75g of flaky sea salt
3
Meanwhile, make the elderflower dressing. Blend the citrus juices with the chilli and cucumber until smooth and pass through a fine sieve
- 1/2 mild red chilli , deseeded
- 6 lemons , juiced
- 6 limes , juiced
- 1/2 cucumber , peeled
4
Season with elderflower cordial to taste – it’s best to use around 25ml to start, then add more if needed. Add the xanthan gum and blend again until hydrated to thicken the mixture
- elderflower cordial, 25–50ml
- 1.5g of xanthan gum
5
Drain a handful of the fermented gooseberries from the whey and pat dry. Cut into slices and set aside
6
Peel away the fine skin of each mackerel fillet and remove any pin bones. Trim the fillets to neaten. To serve, slice the mackerel into thin slices (1cm maximum) at a 45 degree angle. Arrange on plates, dress with the elderflower dressing and garnish with fermented gooseberries and nasturtium leaves
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Cured mackerel, fermented gooseberries, elderflower
