CORNISH SEARED MACKEREL PUY LENTILS AND BRAISED CHARRED FENNEL

I think I like mackerel, I certainly love the idea of seared mackerel, but when I eat it I remember I don’t really like it, but what I do love is eating fresh local seasonal sustainable food.

This is a once a year dish that my husband and I have on our wedding anniversary, we first had this dish at River Cottage Canteen in Axminister West Dorset, the canteen is a five hour drive from where we live, we leave at five in the morning to ensure we will arrive in time for early lunch and always have some of the best local, fresh, seasonal and sustainable food, we then have a wander round the 14th century Cobb Harbour and the Jurassic coast, then head home with a six hour journey due to the rush hour traffic, but every mouthful is a joy and worth it.  Due to the 2020 pandemic this year we have recreated our anniversary meal with all the ingredients sent up from Dorset and Devon at home.

Ingredients 

(serves two)

The Mackerel 

2 fresh mackerel fillets

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 pinch sea salt 

1 pinch fresh ground black pepper 

1 fresh bay leaf

1 bunch watercress

Braised Fennel

2 medium thick whole slices of fennel bulb

Cooking the Puy Lentils

200g dried puy lentils 

1 ltr vegetable stock

1 onion halved

1 carrot cut lengthwise in half

1 rib celery sliced lengthwise in half

1 leek sliced lengthwise in half 

1 clove crushed

6 fresh parsley stalks

1 bay leaf

Puy Lentil Dressing

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

A squeeze of lemon juice

25ml olive oil

First place the Puy lentils in a pan, cover with water bring to a simmer for one minute only, drain and return to the pan along with all the other ingredients and just cover with the vegetable stock at this point add the whole fennel slices, gently simmer for around half an hour until soft and tender but not mushy.

Once cooked drain, remove the carrot, leek, garlic, onion, celery, parsley stalks, bay leaf and reserve the braised fennel to one side.  Warm the olive oil just a bit, toss the cooked lentils in the warm olive oil, drizzle in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the lentils are draining heat a skillet medium hot, sear the fennel for a few minutes and then reserve to one side, next season the mackerel with salt and pepper, add the olive oil and bay leaf to the hot skillet the the mackerel fillets skin side down, sear with out turning for 2 minutes, the gently turn and take the pan off the heat, the residue heat of the pan will finish cooking the mackerel.  Add the butter and as soon as the butter is melted spoon over the mackerel, turn the fillets skin side up and spoon over the butter.

To serve, place the lentils on your plate along with the braised fennel and a bunch of watercress just to the side then pop the mackerel fillet on top, spoon some of the butter juices over the mackerel fillet and enjoy.