Get a kick out of the New Year with delicious blow-torched mackerel with apple and wasabi remoulade
Ingredients (serves 4)
• 1 large apple, cored
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ celeriac, peeled and quartered
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp good quality mayonnaise
• 4 mackerel fillets, pin-boned
• ½ small wasabi rhizome
• toasted sourdough to serve
Method
1. Shred the apple into a mixing bowl using a mandolin with a julienne attachment or a coarse grater. Pour over the lemon juice and stir well to coat. Shred the celeriac, then layer it up with the salt on top of the apple. Leave to stand for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
2. Tip the apple mixture into a sieve and press down hard to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer it back to the bowl and stir in the mayonnaise. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
3. Lay the mackerel fillets skin side down on a baking tray on top of a heat-proof surface. Light your blowtorch according to the manufacturer’s instructions, then gently cook the flesh side until it turns opaque and starts to sizzle.
4. Turn the mackerel fillets over and cook the skin side until golden brown, crisp and bubbling. Be careful not to point the torch at the same place for too long as the skin will split and blacken quite quickly.
5. Trim away the upper stems from the wasabi rhizome and take off a thin layer of peel from the outside. Using a wasabi grater, grate the exposed tip of the rhizome in a circular motion to create a fine paste. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then stir it into the remoulade a teaspoonful at a time until you’re happy with the flavour and pungency.
6. Serve immediately with the mackerel and some toasted sourdough.
Find it in Hampshire
• Fresh wasabi – The Wasabi Company, Alresford, 01929 463824; thewasabicompany.co.uk
• Mackerel – Kerri’s Catch, farmers’ and street markets across Hampshire; fishmarketportsmouth.co.uk
• Apples – Blackmoor Estate, Liss, 01420 476003; blackmoorestate.co.uk
