Mackerel confit, cucumber tartare and lemon sherbet dressing
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This exemplary mackerel recipe calls for the fillet to be cured in an assortment of tangy citrus fruits, drawing the fresh, unctuous taste out of the mackerel. The refreshing flavour of cucumber brings further character to this elegant seafood course. Luke Holder's 'lemon sherbet' dressing adds a unique twist to the mackerel confit.
Ingredients
Citrus cured mackerel
- 4 mackerel fillets
- 1/4 lemon , zested
- 375g of sugar
- 1 handful of coriander
- 1/2 lime , zested
- 1/4 grapefruit , zested
- 375g of salt
- white pepper
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 star anise
- 1 pinch of pink peppercorns
- 1/4 orange , large, zested
Cucumber tartare
Lemon sherbet dressing
- 30ml of lemon juice
- 100g of icing sugar
- 70ml of lemon infused olive oil
To plate
- 4 tbsp of rocket cress
Method
1
Trim the top and tails off the mackerel fillets to make each one into a neat oblong, reserving the off cuts for the tartare. Lay in a non-reactive dish, skin side down
2
Preheat the water bath to 42°C
3
Mix the coriander, zest of all the fruits, sugar, salt, white pepper, star anise and peppercorns. Cover the fillets with the citrus cure for 12 minutes. Wash off and pat dry.
- 1 handful of coriander
- 1/2 lime
- 1/4 grapefruit
- 1/4 lemon
- 375g of sugar
- 375g of salt
- white pepper
- 1 star anise
- 1 pinch of pink peppercorns
- 1/4 large orange
4
Place the mackerel flat in a vacuum bag with a tbsp olive oil and seal. Cook for 17 minutes and leave to cool
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
6
Mix the lemon juice, icing sugar and lemon oil and use to dress the tartare
- 30ml of lemon juice
- 100g of icing sugar
- 70ml of lemon infused olive oil
7
Spoon the tartare into the centre of 4 dishes and surround it with rocket cress. Lay the mackerel fillets on top and serve
- 4 tbsp of rocket cress
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Mackerel confit, cucumber tartare and lemon sherbet dressing
