Pan-fried Cherry Tomato and Caper Vinaigrette for Mackerel and Skordalia
This tangy tomato sauce is the perfect accompaniment to fried mackerel. Pair it with some creamy, garlicky mashed potatoes – known in Greek cuisine as skordalia – and enjoy.
Introduction
In this recipe the tomatoes form an almost-dressing that gets spooned over mackerel – and skordalia, a Greek dish of whipped potatoes with olive oil, lemon and lots of garlic. You can serve the skordalia warm or at room temperature, but never really piping hot. It’s a perfect foil for the fish and tomatoes in this recipe.
Ingredients
| For the skordalia | |
|---|---|
| 250g (9oz) | floury potatoes, washed but not peeled |
| 3 | garlic cloves, crushed to a fine pastewith a pinch of salt |
| 200ml (7fl oz) | olive oil |
| finely grated zest and juice of 1 | lemon |
| boiling water from a kettle, if needed | |
| salt and freshly ground black pepper | |
| For the rest | |
| 5 tbsp | good olive oil, plus more to serve |
| 1 | red onion, finely chopped |
| 2 | garlic cloves, finely chopped |
| 400g (14oz) | cherry tomatoes |
| 2 tbsp | red wine vinegar |
| 25g (1oz) | capers, drained or soaked if salted; or 25g (1oz) green olives, pitted |
| ½ small bunch of | flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped |
| 1 or 2 | mackerel fillets per person (depending on size), pin boned |
| 2 tbsp | plain (all-purpose) flour |
| a pinch or more of | chilli flakes, to taste(optional) |
| 1 | lemon, cut into wedges, to serve |
Method
First, make the skordalia. Boil the potatoes in their skins in plenty of well-salted water, until tender. Then, drain and while they’re still hot (but manageable), peel them. The skins should come of pretty easily.
Push the potatoes through a sieve with a spoon, or use a mouli or a ricer, to form a smooth purée. Add the garlic, stirring to combine. Beat the olive oil and the juice and zest of the lemon into the potatoes, stirring to combine. You’re looking for a fairly whippy, creamy consistency – add a splash of boiling water, if necessary, mixing well to combine. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper, to taste.
To make the dish, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a good, non-stick frying or cast-iron pan over a moderate–low heat. Add the onion and fry for about 10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the cherry tomatoes, turn up the heat to moderate–high and fry for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to collapse and soften.
Stir in the vinegar and capers and cook for 1 minute for the flavours come together, then stir in the parsley and pour this dressing into a small bowl. Wipe out the pan.
Season the mackerel fillets with a little salt and pepper, then dust the skins with the flour.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and turn up the heat to high. Carefully lay the mackerel fillets skin-side down into the hot oil and fry for 1 minute before turning the heat down to moderate and cooking for another 1½–3 minutes, depending on thickness. Carefully flip the fillets over and cook on the other side for 30 seconds or so, until the flesh is just opaque. Spoon over the tomato and caper dressing. Remove the pan from the heat.
To serve, divide the skordalia between the serving plates, then top with the mackerel fillets, making sure to scoop over plenty of the dressing. Sprinkle with chilli flakes, if you like, and serve with wedges of lemon for squeezing over.
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