Ingredients

• 4 sushi-grade mackerel fillets
• 200g/7oz salt
• 50g/1¾oz sugar
• 1 star anise
• pinch black peppercorns
• pinch coriander seeds
• 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
• 1 carrot
• peeled
• cut lengthways and sliced thinly on an angle
• ½ cauliflower head
• cut into small florets
• 1 red pepper
• julienned
• 1 yellow pepper
• julienned
• 1 red onion
• cut into eighths
• 1 courgette
• cut lengthways and sliced thinly on an angle
• 8 gooseberries
• 25g/1oz butter
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ vanilla pod
• 100g/3½oz gooseberries
• splash sweet white wine
• splash white wine vinegar
• coriander cress
• baby rocket leaves

Directions

• Lay the mackerel fillets on a tray and sprinkle with the salt and sugar. Cover with baking paper
• press with a weight and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• To make the pickling syrup
• bring 250ml/9fl oz of water to the boil with the star anise
• peppercorns
• coriander seeds and white wine vinegar. Allow to cool.
• Bring another saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the vegetables and gooseberries for 1 minute. Drain and add to the cold pickling syrup.
• To make the gooseberry purée
• melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Add the sugar
• vanilla and gooseberries. Cook for 10 minutes until the gooseberries are soft. Add the wine and vinegar and stir well. Transfer to a food processor or blender and blend to a loose purée.
• Remove the mackerel and wash off the salt cure. Slice each fillet very thinly.
• Spoon some purée on to the bottom of a serving dish. Drain the pickled veg well and sprinkle over the purée. Lay the mackerel on top and garnish with the cress and rocket.