Mackerel escabeche

This dish is best prepared a day ahead to allow the mackerel to absorb the flavours of the marinade. At Nikau we have used this escabeche as an antipasto with a salad of choggia beetroot, celery and cucumber. It would work equally as well with a white bean and rocket salad.

Mackerel is usually sold whole, but for this dish ask for the fish to be filleted.

4 fillets mackerel, skin on olive oil

1 large onion
2 sticks of celery
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup water
1 cup white wine
100ml sherry or white wine vinegar

4 large cloves garlic
2 stalks rosemary

50 ml extra virgin olive oil

First season the mackerel with salt and pepper and let it sit while you make the marinade.

Slice the onion and celery roughly and put them in a pot with the fennel seeds, the water, wine and vinegar.
Simmer this mixture for 15 minutes until the mixture is reduced by one quarter.
Strain into a bowl and discard the solids.

Heat a large frypan with a generous amount of olive oil and cook flesh side down on a high heat to achieve a nice golden brown surface.
Turn the fillets and cook them until they are just done.
Put them into a shallow container that can hold them in one layer.

Chop the garlic and the rosemary finely and fry on a medium heat with olive oil until the garlic is barely coloured. Tip this mixture and the reserved marinade over the mackerel. Finish by pouring over the extra virgin olive oil.

This page was updated on 16 July, 2004