Recreate Kevin Dundon's delicious mackerel dish at home by following his step by step instructions

Ingredients

  • 8 mackerel fillets, about 90g (3.oz) each
  • 1 tblsp olive oil
  • salt and black pepper
  • 200 g rocket (arugula) leaves
  • juice of a lemon
  • lemon wedges, to serve
  • for the blackcurrant sauce
  • 200 g blackcurrants
  • 4 tblsp sugar
  • 4 tblsp sherry vinegar

Method

  • For the blackcurrant sauce, place the blackcurrants and sugar in a saucepan over a moderate heat and cook for 2–3 minutes until the juices are bursting from the fruit.
  • Add the vinegar, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
  • Soak wood chips for your smoker in water before use, then add them to the bottom of the smoker and place onto a gas hob or stove. Alternatively, add some burning charcoal and allow the chips to heat.
  • Place a piece of kitchen foil on the smoker rack and pierce some vents into it with a sharp knife.
  • Brush the mackerel fillets on each side with olive oil, then season with salt and black pepper. Lay the fish on the foil and cook as per the manufacturer’s instructions for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the fish from the smoker. Place 2 fillets overlapping on each plate and serve with some rocket leaves drizzled in lemon juice and seasoned with salt and black pepper, with a spoonful of blackcurrant sauce and a lemon wedge.

Notes

Kevin says, "When the mackerel are in at Slade, it’s standing-room only on the pier as hundreds descend to catch the freshest fish for supper. Because mackerel is an oily fish I would recommend soaking the fillets in some salty water for about 20 minutes before smoking because this will help to dry out the fish and, therefore, assist the smoking process and improve the flavour of the dish."