Soused mackerel is simply boiling up a load of aromatic ingredients in vinegar and sugar and pouring it over mackerel in order to ‘par cook’ it and preserve it. Pickled fish may seem a little weird, but I was bought up on the stuff. I would kill for a rollmops or a pickled herring with mustard sauce. It’s this kind of vibe but with much fresher flavours. The grapefruit marries so well; the taste goes with the aromatic pink peppercorns a treat!
Ingredients (serves 4)
350ml white wine
1 bay leaf
Peeled rind of 1 Florida grapefruit
2 Florida grapefruits juiced
1tbsp pink peppercorns
½tsp chilli flakes
½tsp allspice berries
6 juniper berries, lightly crushed.
50g sugar
1tbsp sea salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced into rings
1 small orange carrot, thinly sliced
1 small white carrot, thinly sliced
4 mackerel fillets, with the central bones cut out
1 grapefruit, segmented
Method
To make the marinade, place 70ml water and the vinegar, bay leaf, Florida grapefruit rind and juice, peppercorns, chillies, allspice and juniper berries, sugar and salt in a small pan and heat slowly until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and then turn off the heat. Add the onion and carrot and then leave to cool.
Lay the mackerel fillets in a dish and pour over the marinade, making sure they are completely immersed. Cover with cling film and leave to cool to room temperature. Then leave in the fridge to marinade overnight.
Serve plated with some of the pickled vegetables and the Florida grapefruit segments.
Recipe courtesy of Gizzi Erskine for Florida Grapefruit
