Serves 6

For the mackerel:

8g coriander seeds
32g salt
10g sugar
2g konbu ground into a powder (dried kelp available in Asian food aisles of supermarkets and specialist Asian stores)
4 mackerel fillets

Crush the coriander seeds in a pestle and mortar and mix together with the salt, sugar and konbu powder. Lay the mackerel fillets skin down on a tray and coat evenly with the cure mixture. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge. Drain off the excess water after 4 hours. Place back in the fridge and continue to cure for 12 hours.

For the pickled lemons:

125g water
87.5g Chardonnay vinegar
45g caster sugar
2 lemons

Heat the water, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan until all the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and refrigerate the pickling liquid until it is completely chilled. Wash and dry the lemons and first slice in half lengthwise, then width-wise into 2mm thick slices. Pour over the pickling liquid and refrigerate for at least 48 hours. Keep refrigerated until needed. The pickled lemons will keep for months and are a wonderful addition to salads and fish or poultry dishes.

For the olive tapenade:

250g pitted Kalamata olives in brine

Using a hand blender, blitz the olives into a coarse puree.

For the dried olives:

50g pitted Kalamata olives in brine

Blanch the olives in boiling water for 2 minutes and then place in iced water. Drain the olives and spread over a baking tray. Dry them in the oven (preferably on a fan setting) at 80°C for 18 hours or until completely dry. Once dry, chop finely and sift out any fine dust with a sieve. Store in an airtight container.

For the brown butter emulsion:

2 eggs
200g butter
Salt
Lemon juice

To make the brown butter, heat the butter over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until it turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then strain through a fine sieve to remove any solids. Cool the brown butter to 30°C and keep at or around this temperature. Cook the eggs in simmering water for exactly 4 minutes. Remove the eggs and place in an ice batch for 5 minutes to cool. Break the eggs and carefully scoop out the egg white and yolk – the white should be completely cooked while the yolk remains liquid. Place the eggs in a cylindrical container. Using a stick blender, blitz the eggs until they are completely smooth and slowly add the brown butter to form an emulsion. Season the mixture with lemon juice and salt.

For the brioche croutons:

Brioche
Extra virgin olive oil

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C. Trim the crusts off the brioche and cut the croutons into 12 rectangular blocks 1cm x 1cm x 1cm in size. Heat a thin layer of the oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Gently fry the croutons on all sides. Remove the croutons from the oil and place on a baking tray. Bake the croutons in the oven for approximately 10 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

To serve:

Cured mackerel
2 breakfast radishes
Brown butter emulsion
30 toasted coriander seeds
Croutons
Pickled lemons
Olive tapenade
300g pea shoots
Dried olive
Extra virgin olive oil

Using the back of a knife, remove the excess cure from the mackerel and discard. Slice the mackerel into 30 thin strips, leaving the skin behind. Thinly slice the radishes lengthwise and store in iced water so they curl slightly. Spoon the brown butter emulsion in a line across the centre of the 6 plates. Place five slices of mackerel around the plate and curl to give them some height. Place 1 coriander seed on top of each slice of mackerel. Place 2 croutons and 3 pickled lemon slices onto each plate. Garnish the slices of mackerel with the tapenade. Toss the pea shoots with a little pickling juice and some olive oil and mound onto the plate placing a few pieces around the dish. Sprinkle some of the dried olive onto the dish and spoon a few drops of olive oil around the salad in between the slices of mackerel.

« back