Recipe Of The Week – Spiced Mackerel with Cucumber Raita
This recipe is a fantastic dish to cook over a smoking barbeque in the height of summer or simply over the grill during the colder months to bring a little bit of summer indoors. Why not make extra cucumber and yogurt raita to have as an added element for lunch of dinner the following day?
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the mackerel:
- 1 tbsp mild paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 pinches dried chilli flakes
- 2 cloves garlic
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt
- 4 mackerel
For the raita:
- ½ cucumber
- 300g Greek yoghurt
- Squeeze of lemon
- Salt and pepper
Steps
- Start with the mackerel. Mix together the spices, garlic, lemon juice, yogurt and oil to make a smooth paste, seasoning well with salt.
- Make 3-4 diagonal slashes in each side of the fish. Rub some of the marinade into the cavities, then over each side, encouraging it into the slashes.
- Place in a shallow dish and pour over any remaining marinade. Put to one side for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, grate the cucumber coarsely and squeeze out the moisture between your hands. Mix into the yoghurt, adding a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
- When you are ready to cook, brush or rub the bars of the barbecue, or grill, with oil to stop the fish from sticking, then lay the fish on top. Cook over hot coals/a high heat for 5-6 minutes on each side – maybe more, maybe less, depending on the size of the fish – until the skin is charred and blistered, and the flesh is cooked through to the bones.
- Eat with a blob of yoghurt raita on the side and a green salad.
