25 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 4
About the recipe
Mackerel is an extremely versatile fish, and in my opinion totally underrated. Embrace, enjoy and reap the benefits.
Ingredients
300g quinoa
extra virgin olive oil
2 lemons
2 cloves of garlic
1 fresh red chilli
olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
100g sprouts and shoots
400g broccoli
100g baby spinach
1 ripe avocado
4 x 200g whole mackerel, gutted, pin-boned or 4 x 100g mackerel fillets
1 bunch of fresh soft mixed herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, mint, coriander (30g)
Method
- Cook 300g of quinoa according to the packet instructions, then transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and squeeze over the juice from 1 lemon, then leave aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, peel and finely slice 2 cloves of garlic and finely slice 1 fresh red chilli (deseed if you like).
- Drizzle ½ a tablespoon of olive oil into a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, add the garlic, chilli, 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and ½ a teaspoon of mustard seeds, then fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden.
- Add ½ a teaspoon of ground turmeric and 100g of sprouts and shoots, toss together, then fry for a further 5 minutes, or until crisp, then leave to one side.
- Cut 400g of broccoli into small florets and cook in a pan of boiling water for around 5 minutes, or until cooked but still with a bit of bite. Plunge into a bowl of cold water, then drain and add to the quinoa, along with 100g of baby spinach and the crispy sprouts and shoots.
- Halve and destone 1 ripe avocado, then use a teaspoon to scoop little curls of flesh all over the salad, then toss together.
- Place a griddle pan on a high heat.
- Finely slice the remaining lemon into rounds, then drizzle the mackerel with olive oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, then stuff with the lemon slices and 1 bunch of mixed soft herbs (30g), reserving a a few sprigs for the salad.
- Grill the mackerel for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until bar-marked and beautifully crisp.
- Finely chop the reserved herbs and scatter over the quinoa salad, then serve alongside the crispy mackerel.
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