Cured mackerel, fermented gooseberries, elderflower

by Michael Bremner
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4
1 hour 15 minutes

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

  • nasturtium leaves

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
  • nasturtium leaves