Newsletter 27: Grilled Mackerel

www.tisjir.com __________________________  23rd August 2011  ______________________________ newsletter  no.27

AUGUST

Peppers and tomatoes are brilliant this month, as are plums and aubergines. Late-summer fruits include blackberries and early figs as well as the first of the apples.

Although the new fresh ingredients of spring are starting to decline, there are compensations in late summer, as greenhouse vegetables come to the fore: cucumber, tomatoes, runner beans and courgettes, plus stone fruit, currants and early apples.  Fish is at its best this season, especially mackerel.

An under-estimated fish if ever there was one.  Mackerel eaten fresh (which they usually are) are a treat. Mackerel is a lovely fish; very flavoursome and moist with a tender flesh. Grill or oven-bake them – and they’re also real stars at a barbecue. The smaller mackerel are the best size to buy – one fish per person.

As an oily fish, mackerel is rich in omega 3 fatty acids so is a useful addition to the diet.

Grilled  mackerel with salsa verde

Serves 2

4-6 mackerel fillets

olive oil, for brushing

For the salsa verde

8 large basil leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt

2 anchovy fillets in extra virgin olive oil

zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained

1 rounded teaspoon grain mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

oven potatoes to serve

First, line a grill tray with foil and brush it with oil. Brush each mackerel fillet lightly with oil and season, then arrange them (skin side up) on

the foil. Place the tray about 15cm from the heat and time them for 6 minutes. After that, turn them over and grill for another 6 minutes or until they are tinged golden and the fish is cooked through.

For the salsa verde, simply place all the ingredients in a mini-chopper and chop till you have a chunky sauce. Serve the grilled fillets with the salsa verde and oven potatoes.

Makkarell mixwi b’salsa hadra

Iservi 2 persuni

4-6 filetti tal-makkarell

Zejt taz-zebbuga

Ghas-salsa

8 weraq tal-habaq

Sinna tewm imqaxra

Kuccarina melh

2 filetti tal-incova

Meraq u qoxra ta lumija

Kuccarina kappar

Kuccarina mustarda2 imgharef zejt taz-zebbuga

Iksi tray bil-foil u immshu biz-zejt u roxx ftit bzar u melh.  Imsah il-makkarell bi ftit zejt u qieghed il makkarell fuq il-foil madwar 15cm il-bod min-nar ghal-6 minuti.  Aqlibhom u ghatihom 6 minuti ohra sakemm ikollom kulur dehbi.

Ghas-salsa, poggi l-ingredjenti kola go food processor u qatta sakemm ikollok salsa – tqattax iz-zejjed, irid li jibqa bicciet fini jidru.  Servi il-makarell bis-salsa u patata l-forn.