Ingredients

• 4 mackerel
• filleted
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• pinch salt
• 2 banana shallots
• finely sliced into rings
• 3 tbsp celery leaves
• 2 tbsp chervil sprigs (or parsley)
• 50g/1¾oz baby watercress sprigs
• 4 tbsp croutons
• 500g/1lb 2oz cooked beetroot
• thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp French mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add the olive oil and the mackerel fillets
• skin side down
• and cook for two minutes until the flesh changes colour halfway up the fish.
• Flip the fillets over and cook for one more minute then remove from the heat and set aside to rest for a couple of minutes.
• Heat the rice wine vinegar and sugar together in a saucepan then add the shallot rings and salt. Leave to macerate for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile
• toss the celery leaves
• chervil (or parsley)
• watercress and croutons together.
• Set aside two-thirds of the beetroot.
• Place the remaining beetroot into a food processor and blend to make a fine purée then pass it through a sieve into a bowl.
• Add the mustard and lemon juice then whisk in the olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve
• lay the reserved beetroot onto the plates and top with the pickled shallots.
• Toss the salad with a little of the dressing then place on top of the beetroot slices.
• Add the mackerel fillets then drizzle over more of the dressing.