Cured mackerel with sweet pickled vegetables
This stunning cured mackerel recipe from Ilario Vinciguerra is devilishly simple to make. Served with colourful pickled vegetables, this beautiful seafood starter is a great make-ahead dish for a dinner party.
Ingredients
Cured mackerel
- 400g of mackerel fillet
- 400g of salt
- 80g of caster sugar
Syrup
- 330g of caster sugar
Pickled vegetables
- 1 yellow pepper , cut into neat strips
- 1 red pepper , cut into neat strips
- 1 courgette , quartered, cored and sliced
- 1 carrot , halved lengthways and sliced
- 1/4 cauliflower, cut into small florettes
- 1/2 red onion, sliced lengthways into petals
- 1/2 celery stick, stringy bits removed, cut into strips
- 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
To serve
- basil cress
Method
1
Make the cure by mixing the sugar and salt in a tray. Lay the fillets skin-side down in the tray and cover with cure mix, packing it tightly and evenly over the fish. Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and place a weight over the fish. Cure in the fridge for 20 minutes
- 400g of mackerel fillet
- 400g of salt
- 80g of caster sugar
2
Make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in 300ml water over a medium heat. Place in the fridge and allow to cool
- 330g of caster sugar
3
Blanch the vegetables in a large pan of water with the white wine vinegar, then quickly drain and transfer to the syrup
- 1 tbsp of white wine vinegar
- 1 yellow pepper , cut into neat strips
- 1 red pepper , cut into neat strips
- 1 courgette , quartered, cored and sliced
- 1 carrot , halved lengthways and sliced
- 1/4 cauliflower, cut into small florettes
- 1/2 red onion, sliced lengthways into petals
- 1/2 celery stick, stringy bits removed, cut into strips
4
After 20 minutes, run the fillets under the cold tap, washing off the cure. Dry with kitchen paper and return to the fridge if not serving immediately
5
To serve, drain and season the vegetables with a little oil and vinegar and scatter around the plate
6
Remove the skin from the fillets, cut into small pieces and arrange on the plate with the vegetables. Garnish with basil cress and serve
- basil cress
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Cured mackerel with sweet pickled vegetables
