Fresh mackerel, with its tiger-striped, blue-black skin that looks as if it has been given a coat of metallic paint, is such a wonderful fish, it’s a shame its flavour and texture seem to be much overlooked. It has a relatively high fat content, and for that reason, I am a fan of eating it cured, as opposed to cooked. This simple recipe involves salting the fillet, with the addition of a little vinegar. This not only preserves it, but enhances the flavour of the fish and makes it more digestible. The additional aromatics are optional, although I would always include the basil and garlic. These rillettes will keep well for a couple of days in the fridge. Serve it like a pâté.

Serves 4-6 as a starter

Ingredients

Table salt (enough to completely cover the fish)
1 lemon
1 lime
1 dsp ground coriander
750g mackerel fillets (ask your fishmonger to fillet them)
Sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp olive oil tsp chilli flakes
15 basil leaves
Sea salt crystals
Cracked black pepper

Place the salt in a bowl and finely grate the lemon and lime zest over it. Add the ground coriander and mix. Spread some of the aromatised salt to an even depth of 2mm on a tray or plate. Press the mackerel fillets, skin side down, onto the salt. Sprinkle with a little sherry vinegar and then add more of the salt so that the fillets are completely covered. If your tray or plate is not large enough to hold the fish in one layer, you can place any remaining fillets on top of the salt covering the first layer, then add more vinegar and salt again. Leave the fish for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel the garlic, remove the green germ in the centre and crush. Put the garlic, olive oil and chilli flakes in a small saucepan and warm over a low heat for 10 minutes. Make sure the garlic does not burn, otherwise the oil will become bitter. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Once it is cool, strain the garlic oil through a fine sieve (a tea strainer will do the trick).

When the fish is ready, wash it thoroughly to remove all the salt, then remove the skin from the fillets. Place the flesh in a bowl and add the flavoured oil. Using a fork, mix well, shredding the flesh as you go. Finely chop the basil and add to the fish. Leave in the fridge for a couple of hours.

To serve, spoon the rillettes onto individual plates and sprinkle over a few salt crystals and some cracked black pepper.

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