River Cottage merguez mackerel fillets
- Published: 30 Jun 11
- Updated: 18 Mar 24
Bring a little heat to your barbecue with this spiced fish recipe from River Cottage.
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Ingredients
- 1 tsp each fennel, cumin and coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 2-3cm cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- Grated zest of 1 lemon and
- some of its juice
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 6 large mackerel fillets, skin ?left on, pin-boned
- A little chopped fresh coriander or coriander cress
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Method
- Place the fennel, cumin and coriander seeds and the peppercorns in a dry pan and toast over a medium heat for a few minutes, shaking often, until fragrant. Put in a pestle and mortar, add the cinnamon and grind to a coarse powder. Add the salt, garlic, oil, lemon zest, paprika and cayenne (the faint-hearted can leave out the cayenne). Grind to a paste.
- Gently coat the flesh-side of the mackerel fillets with some of the paste. Try not to get any on the skin-side if you can help it (a little may be unavoidable).
- Place the fillets, skin-side up, in a dish, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. This allows the flavours to penetrate and will also slightly cure the flesh, making it firmer and easier to barbecue.
- Drizzle the mackerel skin with a little oil and, while the barbecue is still good and hot, place the fillets skin-side down on the grill. Cook until the skin is crisp and slightly charred, then, using a carving fork or fish slice, lift the fillets and turn them to cook on the flesh side for a minute or two. Remove from the grill and place on a serving dish. Squeeze over a little lemon juice, sprinkle with chopped coriander or cress, then serve.
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- Recipe from July 2011 Issue
Nutrition
Nutrition: per serving
- Calories
- 384kcals
- Fat
- 30.3g (5.8g saturated)
- Protein
- 28.8g
- Carbohydrates
- 0.6g (0.1g sugars)
- Salt
- 1.1g
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