Mackerel fillets with lentils and horseradish yoghurt

Mackerel fillets with lentils and horseradish yoghurt

A question people often ask me is how to cook fish. We are an island, however fish and chips seems to have dominated the way we eat fish here in the UK. Covering it in flour, salt and water and deep frying it in oil… really?! I think we can do better than that. Ditch the batter and let the flavour of the fish speak for itself.

Prepare the lentils by placing them in a sieve and rinse well under water. Then place them in a saucepan with the cold water, garlic clove and bouillon and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover for 20-25 minutes. Taste after 20 minutes – the lentils should be nutty and softly firm when you bite them, but not raw. Drain and add oil, lemon juice and generous amounts of salt and pepper.

While the lentils are cooking, prepare the yoghurt and the fish. For the yoghurt, place all of the ingredients in a nutribullet or food processor and blitz. Taste, and season to your liking. Does it need more lemon juice, salt, pepper or vinegar?

Finally, 5 minutes before the lentils have finished cooking, prepare the fish. Lay the mackerel fillets skin-side down on a chopping board and sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and place them in, still skin-side down (you may need to do this in batches).  Cook them for 2 minutes, then carefully flip them and cook them for a further 2 minutes flesh-side down. Remove from the plan and serve with the lentils and yoghurt.

You can check that fish is cooked by looking at the colour of the of the flesh, and how easily the flesh peels away from the skin. With mackerel, you can tell it’s done once the flesh turns grey. Just where the flesh meets the skin can still be darker as this will continue to cook while it cools. I eat the skin too as it’s really good for you and delicious when it’s crispy!

DOWNLOAD OR PRINT RECIPE HERE.