By now, you should know how much I love fish. Catching the blighters is fun too. We used to go fishing in Scotland, and I remember the excitement of dangling your brightly coloured lure over the side of the boat, and then the sudden adrenalin rush as you realise that that there are wriggly, silvery mackerel (flashing blue in the sunlight), tugging hard at the end of your line.
Here's a very British recipe for Grilled Mackerel with an interesting Gooseberry Sauce. When was the last time you had Gooseberry Sauce? I'm all for it- and the sharp flavours of the gooseberries contrasts well with the oily fish.
Take ½ a pound of green gooseberries, top and tail them, then put them into a pan of boiling water, and simmer them until they turn yellow. Next, strain off the water, and pass them through a sieve, so that you end up with a purée. Add a tablespoon of sugar to the mixture. Melt a knob of butter in a hot pan, and then stir in some flour to form a roux in the normal way. As always, make sure the flour is slightly cooked, stirring the roux until you get a smooth buttery paste.
Then, pour in about half a pint of boiling water and stir. Take off the heat, and start adding small pieces of butter, piece by piece, until you have a smoothish sauce. Stir in the gooseberry purée, and season with chopped fennel, salt and pepper, and some grated nutmeg.
The Mackerel are easy. Take your gutted fish, and make four diagonal cuts into the fish on either side. Season with salt and pepper, and rub the inside and outside with lemon juice. Brush with oil, and grill them for about fifteen minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge, and the Green Gooseberry Sauce.
