Fish Recipe from Peter Gorton

LIGHTLY SMOKED MACKEREL WITH PEPITA AND A TOMATO AND ROSEMARY FLAVOURED DRESSING:

Ingredients

200g rice
2 bunches of rosemary
4 large mackerel fillets
Olive oil
¼ cup lightly roasted pepitas
100g Vulscombe goats cheese

Tomato Dressing

3 cloves garlic chopped roughly
2 shallots, chopped roughly
5 plum tomatoes with the seeds removed
300ml tomato juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 pinches of sugar
Sprigs of rosemary
Salt & pepper to taste
150ml olive oil

Method

Line a wok with foil, add rice and cover with a sprig of rosemary saving a little for later. Sprinkle with a little water and heat over a medium heat until smoking, place lightly oiled mackerel fillets on a wire rack in the base of the wok, cover and smoke for 2-3 minutes. Heat a heavy frying pan until hot, brush the mackerel with olive oil and season to taste then cook over a high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side until well browned, cool to room temperature then refrigerate until needed.

Tomato Dressing

Heat a small saucepan and add some olive oil and cook the garlic and shallot until soft, add the plum tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, add the white wine vinegar and allow to cook for 30 seconds then add the sugar and tomato juice continue to cook for 3 minutes, finally adding the rosemary sprig. Remove from the heat and cover with cling film for two hours to allow the flavours to infuse. When cold, push the dressing through a fine sieve and refrigerate.

Assembly

Combine some mixed salad leaves and pepitas in a large bowl, coat with a little tomato dressing and toss gently. Divide salad mixture among eight plates, sprinkle with diced Vulscombe cheese then top with mackerel and pour the tomato dressing around the salad. Serve.