Mackerel escabeche recipe

Spanish-styled mackerel escabeche makes a quick and easy dinner or lunch. Fry the mackerel and add carrots and red onions and serve with crusty bread

Ingredients

• 2 x 200g packs Scottish mackerel split fillets (we used a pack of 6 fillets from M&S)
• 2 tbsp seasoned flour
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• 100g (3½oz) Chantenay carrots, thinly sliced lengthways, or 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 4 tbsp wine vinegar
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Dust the fish with seasoned flour. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Shake off any excess flour from the fish, then fry the fillets for a couple of mins (in 2 batches), until golden all over. Take them out with a draining spoon and put in a shallow dish.
2. Wipe out the pan, then spoon the rest of the oil into it and, when hot, add the carrot, onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 mins, until they begin to colour.
3. Stir in the wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons water, the chilli, herbs and seasoning. Simmer for 5 mins until the vegetables are cooked, then pour the mixture over the fish and leave to cool. Serve with crusty bread.