Rosemary-scented mackerel with griddled saucisson and harissa baguette
Brining and smoking your own fish is easier than you think! Matt serves with fiery harissa toast and a griddled sausage on the side.
Ingredients
For the mackerel
- 2 medium whole mackerel, gutted, head removed and scored on both sides
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- salt
For the harissa sourdough
- 4 tbsp harissa paste
- 6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 slices baguette
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
For the grilled saucisson
- 1 good-quality French sausage
- 1 bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley
For the dressing
- 4 tbsp crème fraîche
- 4 tbsp finely chopped chives
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp harissa oil, taken from harissa jar
Method
To make the mackerel, start by making the brine. Weigh out enough water to cover both the fish in a large saucepan, then add 5% of that weight in salt. Warm the water enough to dissolve the salt, then place the mackerel in the brine and leave for a few hours.
Remove the mackerel from the brine, pat dry and transfer to a wire rack that fits inside a lidded wok. Line the wok with kitchen foil, and place the wood chips, rosemary and fennel seeds in the bottom of the wok. Gently heat the wok and allow the wood chips to smoke gently, then place the rack inside with the mackerel on top and put a lid on the wok. Allow the mackerel to smoke for 15–20 minutes. To check if the fish is cooked, push a cocktail stick into the flesh and if it comes out clean, the fish is cooked.
Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil and blanch the sausage gently for 10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Cook the sausage on the griddle pan until bar marks appear, then slice the sausage into pieces and add to a bowl with the fennel and parsley.
To make the toasts, blitz the harissa and tomatoes in a food processor or with a hand blender. Grill the baguette slices on the griddle, then rub the grilled toast with the garlic clove and spread the tomato and harissa mixture over the toast.
To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Place the whole fish onto a serving plate and lay the toasts alongside. Pile the salad on the plate and drizzle with the dressing to finish.
Recipe Tips
You'll need a handful of wood chips to smoked the fish on. Feel free to experiment with different types of wood for different flavours and aromas!