Ingredients

• 2 whole mackerel
• filleted and pin boned
• 6 pickled onions
• thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• finely chopped
• 2½cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled and shredded
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 500g/1lb 2oz gooseberries
• generous dash of ginger wine or cordial
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1-2 sprigs thyme
• leaves picked and chopped
• 2 baby onions
• trimmed and sliced
• 200g/7oz crème fraîche
• 2 tbsp fresh chives

Directions

• For the mackerel
• place mackerel fillets on a baking tray and lay the pickled onions over the top. Use a chef’s blow torch to cook the fish and onions. Alternatively cook under a very hot grill for 2-3 minutes.
• For the gooseberry chutney
• heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add in the onion and fry gently until softened
• approximately three minutes. Then add in the ginger and sprinkle over the sugar.
• Cook gently
• stirring often
• for two minutes. Add the gooseberries and the ginger wine or cordial. Bring to the boil
• cover and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes
• stirring now and then until the mixture has thickened into a chutney.
• Stir in the fennel seeds and thyme leaves in the final minutes of cooking. Transfer the hot chutney into a warm
• sterilised jar. Cool and seal the lid.
• To serve
• place the mackerel on serving plates and serve with the chutney and a few slices of baby onions. Mix the chives and crème fraîche and serve alongside.