Aishling Moore: How to make grilled mackerel with beetroot and apple chutney

Grilled mackerel beetroot and apple chutney Picture: Chani Anderson

Niki Signet’s The Flavour Thesaurus is one of the most important books I acquired as a young chef and one I recommend to any keen cook.

The book is a compendium of flavour combinations, with thousands of ingredient pairings. So, it’s a brilliant resource to have on hand when you’re in need of inspiration.

Beetroot and oily fish is one such combination.

The pairing of mackerel with beetroot is one which I revert to often.

At home, it could be a simple supper of watercress, roasted beets, some flaked tinned mackerel with a generous shaving of heady horseradish to finish.

In the restaurant, there have been many dishes comprised of this duo. Think thin slices of mackerel that have been cured in kelp seaweed, rice wine vinegar, mirin and salt, topped with a grating of fresh wasabi and scattered around a puddle of umami-rich beetroot ponzu for dipping, for example.

Grilled mackerel beetroot and apple chutney. Picture: Chani Anderson

We make the ponzu with the juice of fresh beetroots, infused with seaweed and seasoned with soy, mirin and more rice vinegar.

There’s a hot-smoked mackerel pâté too, which we serve with pickled beets, spicy mustard greens and brown bread crisps.

This weekend, I am sharing a beautiful butterflied mackerel recipe, grilled crisp and served with a fabulous beetroot and apple chutney.

I’ve butterflied and pin-boned the mackerel here, which requires a good sharp knife, a little love and attention. It is something your fishmonger could do for you in a flash. You could also use fillets of mackerel for this recipe.

Beetroot and apple are also a fantastic ingredient pairing. Cooking the beetroots in both apple cider vinegar and apple juice really intensifies this flavour combination. This chutney is excellent with grilled fish and meats, served with pâté or sausages rolls and a whopper inclusion on a cheeseboard.

Grilled Mackerel with beetroot and apple chutney

The pairing of mackerel with beetroot is one which I revert to often. Beetroot and apple are also a fantastic ingredient pairing. Cooking the beetroots in both apple cider vinegar and apple juice really intensifies this flavour combination.

Servings

4

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• For the mackerel

• 4 x whole mackerel (butterflied or filleted, pin boned)

• 2 tbsp golden rapeseed oil

• Sea salt flakes

• 1 lemon

• For the chutney

• 2 large beetroots (or 750g)

• 1 large cooking apple

• 1 tsp coriander seed

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 star anise

• 200ml apple juice

• 200ml apple cider vinegar

• 150g brown sugar

• Salt

Method

1. To make the chutney, wash, peel, and grate the beetroot and apple on the coarsest side of a box grater.

2. Place a medium-sized heavy-based pot on a medium-high heat.

3. Add the coriander seed, black peppercorns and star anise and toast until fragrant. Approximately 2 minutes.

4. Add the apple cider vinegar, apple juice and brown sugar. Bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar.

5. Remove the coriander seed, black peppercorns and star anise with a slotted spoon and discard.

6. Add the grated apple and beetroot and toss well to coat in the vinegar, juice and sugar.

7. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the beetroot is just cooked.

8. Season with sea salt to taste.

9. Place in a sterile jar and allow to cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.

10. For the grilled mackerel, remove the fish from the refrigerator 10 minutes before you intend on cooking it.

11. Preheat a grill to high.

12. Pat the mackerel fillets with kitchen paper to remove any excess moisture.

13. Lightly grease a baking sheet with rapeseed oil.

14. Brush the skin of the mackerel fillets with rapeseed oil and season with sea salt flakes.

15. Arrange the fillets skin-side down on the baking tray and place under the hot grill for about 4 minutes, keeping an eye that the fish doesn’t overcook.

16. After 4 minutes, remove from the grill and carefully flip the mackerel fillets over and place under the grill for one more minute to further crisp up the skin.

17. Remove from the grill once crisp and serve immediately with a wedge of lemon and some of the beetroot and apple chutney.

Fish tales

Removing the fish from the fridge prior to cooking allows for more even cooking.

When arranging the mackerel on the baking sheet for grilling, make sure the fillets are not overlapping to allow for maximum surface area to be exposed to the grill. Grill in batches if need be.

Make sure to preheat the grill for best results and quick cooking.

For extra crispy fish skin, use a blow torch to char the grilled fish fillets.

You can use a food processor to grate the beetroot and apple if you have one.

Wear kitchen gloves when processing the beetroot to avoid purple-stained hands.

Serve the beetroot and apple chutney at room temperature.