There’s nothing like cooking fish you have caught only an hour or so before. This is what I was lucky enough to do in Kinsale. Add Irish produced oil and chorizo and the pleasure is doubled. As the acidity of red wine vinegar varies, you may need to use more, or less.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup (80ml) rapeseed oil
3 medium (600g) cooked potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large leek, sliced
1 large (100g) chorizo, thickly sliced
2 (340g) butterflied mackerel
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful salad leaves or mesclun
Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon brown
1/2 teaspoon grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (20ml) red wine vinegar (or more to taste)
1/3 cup (80ml) rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon chopped chives + 1 teaspoon extra
METHOD
1 Heat a large pot with a lid over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons (40ml) oil and when hot add potatoes and stir to coat with oil. Add leek. Cut chorizo into bite size pieces and add to pan. Stir well, reduce heat to medium low and cover.
2 Make vinaigrette by whisking together, mustards and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oil. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Whisk in chives.
3 Heat a medium frying pan over high heat. Put remaining 2 tablespoons (40ml) oil into heated frying pan and season mackerel well with salt and pepper. Place flesh side down in the pan and cook briefly over very high heat. Turn and cook the other side for another minute or so or until cooked through.
4 Add potato mixture to vinaigrette and toss gently. Divide between two bowls and top with mackerel. Sprinkle with additional chives if desired and serve immediately.
COOK’S NOTES
Peeling the potatoes after boiling prevents them from becoming waterlogged.