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Grilled mackerel with Cornish crab and chive potato salad

Grilled mackerel with Cornish crab and chive potato salad
Image | Red Hotels © Copyright | David Griffen

Recipe by

The Scarlet

Drinks on the terrace before a fabulous three course meal, coffee in the library and a leisurely round of pool? Whether you join us for lunch with friends or a sunset supper you can make the Scarlet your home from home.

Chef

Tom Hunter

Website

https://www.scarlethotel.co.uk/

Ingredients

2 x large line caught mackerel, filleted and pin boned
300g picked white crab meat
200g brown crab meat
A squeeze of lemon juice
10-12 new potatoes
2 tbls good quality mayonnaise
Small bunch chive very finely minced
4-5 radishes
Some fresh seasonal salad leaves
 

Method

This is a lovely light lunch or starter using one of our favourite fish. Really simple to put together, use the absolute freshest mackerel and crab to ensure a real impact of flavour.

Serves 4 as a starter

Instructions:

Mix the brown and white crab meat together well, but try not to break down the crab meat too much. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Taste, add more seasoning if needed and keep in the fridge until needed.
Peel the new potatoes and cut into ½ cm dice. Cook them in a pan of boiling water for 6 to 7 minutes until tender. Cool down under running water. If this is too fiddley for you you can cook the potatoes as they are and cut them up when they are cooked and keep the skins on. This will not deteriorate the flavour of the dish. 
When the potatoes are cool, mix in the mayonnaise and chives, season and taste.
Pre heat a grill to its highest setting. Lay the mackerel fillets on a tray, pour a little virgin olive oil over each one, season with Cornish sea salt and grill the  fillets skin side up for just a couple of minutes. You will be surprised at how quickly it cooks, and it is important not to over cook it. Don’t worry if the skin starts to colour and blister, we believe this only improves the flavour. 
To serve place a spoonful of potato salad on a plate next to a generous portion of crab, place the mackerel on top, and finish with a few very finely sliced radishes and some of you favourite salad leaves.  
 

Crab, Brown, Edible

Gill Netting

North Coast (VIIf and VIIg)

Crabs caught thorough entanglement in gill nets are lower quality and outside the 6 mile limit there are smaller minimum landing sizes. Some issues with accidental by-catch with this method. Stocks are under more pressure off the North Coast.

Potting

South Coast (area VIIe)

Potting is a selective and low impact method and within the 6 mile limits Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation authority monitor and strictly regulate the fishery. Crab Stocks are most healthy off Cornwall's South Coast.

Gill Netting

South Coast (area VIIe)

Crabs caught thorough entanglement in gill nets are lower quality and outside the 6 mile limit there are smaller minimum landing sizes. Some issues with accidental by-catch with this method. Stocks are healthier off the South Coast

Potting

North Coast (VIIf and VIIg)

Potting is a selective and low impact method and within the 6 mile limits Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation authority monitor and strictly regulate the fishery.

Mackerel

Ring Netting

Cornish waters VIIe, f, g and h

Ring nets are used to encircle a shoal of pelagic fish. the main target species are sardines and anchovies but occasionally there is a by catch of mackerel landed.

Gill Netting

Cornwall

Gill nets are used during winter months on the south coast to target mackerel.

Hook and line

Cornwall areas VIIe and VIIf

Mackerel handling is a low impact, selective method of fishing using hook and line.

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Cornwall Good Seafood Guide is underpinned by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Good Fish Guide. The first UK consumer guide to sustainable seafood. For more information visit www.fishonline.org

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