Pan-Fried Mackerel with Green Tomato and Lovage Relish

Name: Pan-Fried Mackerel with Green Tomato and Lovage Relish
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 4 large mackerel fillets (with skin), or 8 smaller ones, trimmed; 1 tablespoon caster sugar; 4 tablespoons rapeseed oil; salt and freshly ground black pepper; a few lovage leaves, shredded; 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped; 1 tablespoon cider vinegar; 4 large green tomatoes; 1-2 tablespoons plain flour for dusting; 1 tablespoon vegetable or corn oil

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

British Seasonal Food

By Mark Hix

Published 2008

About

Green tomatoes have an acidity that works perfectly with the oiliness of mackerel. If you’re a tomato grower, you may well have some green tomatoes on your vines that you could tempt off for this relish, or perhaps you grow one of the heritage varieties designed to be eaten green. If not, your greengrocer might be able to oblige.

Ingredients

4 large mackerel fillets (with skin), or 8 smaller ones, trimmed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tablespoons plain f

Method

First make the relish. Halve the tomatoes, squeeze out the seeds, then roughly chop the flesh. Heat the rapeseed oil in a pan and gently cook the onion for 4—5 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the cider vinegar and sugar and simmer, stirring, for a minute.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking for 2—3 minutes, stirring reg