Meat mains
Whole roast mackerel, samphire with chewy garlic and devilled tomatoes
There are three strong and bold components to this meal: salty samphire, rich mackerel, and acid-sweet tomatoes which cut through the oiliness of the fish. This lovely, sea-themed recipe can be cooked in less than an hour.
Ingredients
main
- 2 gutted whole mackerel
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 4 ripe tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves
- 100g samphire
- 30g butter
for the devilling sauce
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp English mustard powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- pinch salt
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 200 ̊C/Gas 6.
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Step 2
Season the mackerel inside and out and cut 3 diagonal slashes on each side, pop a wedge of lemon, a sprig of thyme and the bay leaf inside each cavity. Place in a generous, well oiled roasting dish.
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Step 3
To make to devilling sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
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Step 4
Slice the tomatoes in half and place, face up, around the mackerel in the roasting dish.
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Step 5
Spoon some devilling sauce on to each tomato, and pop in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the flesh pulls away from the bone.
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Step 6
Meanwhile put the garlic cloves into a small pan of boiling water and simmering for about 10 minutes or until soft to the tip of a knife, remove and cut lengthways in to quarters.
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Step 7
Blanch the samphire in boiling water for 60 seconds, cool in iced water, drain and set aside.
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Step 8
5 minutes before the fish is done heat the butter with a dash of oil in a pan until it starts to foam. Add the garlic and cook on a medium heat until it starts to brown, the trick is to get a nice crisp, chewy crust without burning it.
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Step 9
When ready add a good squeeze of lemon and toss the samphire with the garlic for a few minutes to reheat. Serve together with the roasting juices spooned over the whole dish.