Mackerel with orange and fennel salad recipe

A fragrant summer salad of fennel, chicory and Italian salad leaves, topped with lightly fried Mackerel fillets and an orange dressing

Ingredients

• 4 mackerel fillets, fresh or just thawed, if frozen

For the salad:

• 2 oranges
• 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs
• 2 handfuls of Italian leaf salad, or similar
• 1 head of red chicory

For the dressing:

• 4 tbs orange juice (juice from 1 orange)
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 tbs walnut oil
• 3 tbs walnuts, roughly chopped

Method

1. To make the salad: Take the peel off the oranges with a very sharp knife, removing the pith. Cut each orange into at least 8 thin slices, taking out any pips. Trim the fennel, keeping the fronds to add to the dressing. Cut the fennel into very fine slivers.
2. To make the dressing: Whisk the orange juice with the vinegar, mustard and seasoning, then whisk in 5 tbs of the walnut oil and any chopped fennel fronds.
3. Add the rest of the oil to a frying pan and warm through, adding the walnuts to toast them. Take out of the pan with a draining spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Add the mackerel fillets to the pan, skin-side down, and cook for a few mins on each side.
4. Toss the salad leaves in a little of the dressing, then add the orange and fennel slices and arrange on plates. Sprinkle with the walnuts and put the fish on top. Spoon over more dressing.