This baked mackerel salad with hot ginger dressing makes the perfect extra special lunch!
The piggies went off yesterday and in preparation for their return, we have been eating out of the freezers for what feels like months. Among the weird and wonderful contents found (pigs trotters, dead rabbits for the ferrets still in their furry coats, and about 6 gigantic sacks of home grown tomatoes dating as far back as 2009) was a huge bag of mackerel fillets that either Jonny or I have caught over the past year or two.
In fairness we do have 5 freezers on the farm , but it still astounds me that I can lose an entire bag of mackerel.
Anyway, whether your mackerel are fresh or frozen (and defrosted) you want them filleted and all bones removed. This is the kind of salad that you just want to dive into without wondering if you’re about to choke to death on a pesky bone.
The zingy ginger dressing means that this is one salad you can indulge in however cold it is outside.
- Splash soy sauce
- Splash fish sauce
- Juice from 1/4 of a lime
- 4 mackerel fillets de-boned
- Handful of salad leaves
- 1 avocado sliced
- Coriander leaves
- 1 " fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- Juice of 3/4 of a lime
- 3 spring onions chopped
- 1 red chilli finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- Preheat the oven to 180/350/gas4
- Place the fish into a baking dish, skin side down. Mix the soy sauce, fish and lime juice together in a glass and brush it onto the fish liberally. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Pile up your choice of salad leaves in two bowls, top with the avocado, coriander and spring onions.
- When the fish is cooked flake it into large chunks and tip over the salad leaves.
- In a clean glass mix the dressing ingredients together and drizzle over everything.
- If you're planning to have this dish as a packed lunch, let the fish cool fully before mixing with the salad bits and store the dressing in a small leak proof pot, and drizzle it over when you're ready to eat. You may want to omit the raw garlic from the dressing if you have to share office space with anyone after eating ;)
Vanesther - Bangers & Mash says
I’d so love to raid your freezers – sounds rather exciting not knowing what you’ll turn up next! Your mackerel salad looks absolutely wonderful with lots of big bold flavours, perfect for chasing away the winter blues…
Jane Sarchet says
Absa-blooming-lutely, be gone winter blues :)
Janie x
Franglais kitchen, Nazima says
lovely recipe – and so full of goodness. I like the idea of a hot dressing. pretty pics too
Jane Sarchet says
Thanks Nazima :)
Janie x
Glamorous Glutton says
I agree with Vanesther, your freezer sounds so interesting! What do you use the ferrets for, rats, rabbits, pets? Loving the goodies you’ve found, this one in particular sounds delicious. GG
Jane Sarchet says
Jonny used to hunt rabbits with them GG, but now we’re down to one, I think she’s fallen into pet category more recently ;)
Janie x
Karen says
Drop dead gorgeous salad Janie and as a an avid fish lover, my kinda bowl of leaves! Karen xxx
Jane Sarchet says
:)