Name: Masala mackerel
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 mackerel (ask your fishmonger to gut and wash them), heads removed; drizzle of rapeseed oil vegetable oil or sunflower oil; rice to serve (optional); 1 tsp cumin seeds; ½ tsp coriander seeds; ½ tsp fennel seeds; 2 tsp garam masala; 1 roasted red pepper from a jar; 2 garlic cloves; thumb-sized piece ginger peeled and roughly chopped; 1 small onion halved; 1 tbsp tomato purée; 2 tbsp desiccated coconut; 250g pot natural yogurt; small bunch coriander plus a few leaves to serve; 2 limes 1 zested, 1/2 juiced, 1 cut into wedges to serve; 1 tsp sugar; 2 spring onions; 1 red onion thinly sliced; ½ lime juiced; ½ tsp sugar

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Masala mackerel

Masala mackerel

Cassie Best

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 15 mins

A star rating of 3.8 out of 5.4 ratingsRate

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The strong flavour of mackerel can handle some spice, so we’ve paired it with aromatic cumin, coriander and fennel, fiery ginger and tangy pickled onions

Gluten-free

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

4 mackerel

(ask your fishmonger to gut and wash them), heads removed
drizzle of rapeseed oil

vegetable oil or sunflower oil
rice

to serve (optional)

For the masala paste

1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
½ tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp garam masala
1 roasted red pepper

from a jar
2 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece ginger

peeled and roughly chopped
1 small onion

halved
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp desiccated coconut

For the green yogurt

250g pot natural yogurt
small bunch coriander

plus a few leaves to serve
2 limes

1 zested, 1/2 juiced, 1 cut into wedges to serve
1 tsp sugar
2 spring onions

For the pickled onions

1 red onion

thinly sliced
½ lime

juiced
½ tsp sugar

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal783
fat58g
saturates16g
carbs13g
sugars10g
fibre3g
protein50g
salt1.1g

Method

step 1

First make the masala paste. Tip the seeds into a dry frying pan, toast for 1-2 mins until aromatic, then tip into the small bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining paste ingredients, season with salt and whizz until everything is finely chopped and well combined. Add a splash of water and combine well.
step 2

Slash each mackerel a few times on each side. Rub the paste all over each fish, making sure you get into the slashes. Cover with cling film and chill for 1 hr, or overnight if you like.
step 3

For the yogurt, combine the ingredients in the small bowl of your food processor, season well and chill until ready to serve. Put the ingredients for the pickled onions in a bowl. Massage the lime juice and sugar into the onion rings for 1-2 mins, then cover and set aside at room temperature to pickle for 30 mins, or overnight if you prefer.
step 4

If serving with rice, make sure you have this on the go. Heat the grill to high. Put the mackerel on a baking tray lined with foil. Drizzle with a little oil and grill for 5-6 mins each side, or until the flesh is cooked through – it should easily slide away from the bones when pushed with a knife.
step 5

To serve, arrange the fish on a platter. If the yogurt has thickened, loosen it with a drizzle of water – it should be like single cream. Drizzle it over the fish, then top with pickled onions, coriander leaves and lime wedges. Serve the rice on the side, with extra green yogurt sauce.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2017

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A star rating of 3.8 out of 5.4 ratings

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