Mackerel is thriving and a fish I eat a lot of. One of the cheapest on the fishmonger’s slab - I am always amazed at how much flavour can cost so little – I find you can get away with one large fish between two if you eat it with potatoes in some form or another. The late, yellow fleshed potatoes such as Charlotte (it’s the one I have grown this year) are the ones I have used here, baked till crisp round the edges, but La Ratte, Pink Fir apple and other creamy fleshed potatoes will be good here too.
Serves 2
small, yellow-fleshed potatoes - 475g
olive oil
a small bunch of fresh thyme
fresh mackerel fillets -2, (or 4 smaller ones)
sherry vinegar
Set the oven at 180˚C/Gas 4. Wipe the potatoes then slice them to the
thickness of two, one pound coins. Put them in a bowl, pour over three
tablespoons of olive oil and a generous grinding of sea salt and black pepper.
Pick the leaves from three or four of the thyme sprigs – I reckon a small
palmful is about right – and toss with the potatoes. Tip the seasoned potatoes into a shallow roasting tin and bake for 40 minutes till golden and tender.
Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a small bowl and stir in a
tablespoon of the sherry vinegar, some salt and pepper and a tablespoon or
so of thyme leaves. When the potatoes are golden, lay the fish skin side up
on the potatoes then spoon over the dressing. Return the dish to the oven
and continue roasting for 20 minutes till the fish is cooked and the
skin is just starting to crisp lightly.
I should add that I also like this with the skin lightly charred here and there. Easily done by turning the oven temperature up or by toasting the fish under the grill for the last few minutes. The crispness of the skin neatly contrasts the richness of the flesh.
