Tom Kitchin recipe: Whole mackarel with blackcurrant compote
Berries make the perfect sweet and work remarkably well in savoury dishes, says Tom Kitchin
I’VE shared a lot of berry recipes in my column recently but I can’t help but get excited about the abundance of this fantastic fruit we produce in Scotland over the summer months and into autumn. I’m almost fanatical about these wonderful ingredients – so much so, that my mother-in-law actually bought me a blueberry scooper for Christmas last year. This is a fantastic little tool for going out picking blueberries. They grow wild here in Scotland, but they are a lot of hard work to forage.
Ingredients
- For the compote
- 250g frozen blackcurrants
- 200g sugar
- 75g lemon juice
- 40g pectin and 40g sugar mixed together
- To serve
- 1 whole mackerel
- blackcurrant compote
- a bay leaf
Serves: 1 Difficulty: Medium Time to cook: 20 mins
Method
For the compote Bring the blackcurrants, lemon juice and 200g of sugar to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Then whisk in the pectin and sugar mixture and simmer for a further five minutes allowing the mixture to thicken. Continue adding sugar/lemon to your desired taste.
For the mackerel Ask your local fishmonger to scale your mackerel and remove all the guts. Ensure your fish is clean before rubbing it with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on to a medium heat barbecue and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
To serve Lay the barbecued mackerel on the plate and cover with a spoonful of blackcurrant compote. Serve with a bay leaf.