Recipe: Mackerel in escabeche with sea herbs
Come play at the restaurant with our Toquéras: simple and topical recipes, filmed by our favorite chefs.
This time, we're heading to the Mediterranean to catch this fresh and salty recipe from Thomas Assioma, chef of Poissonnerie Kennedy in Marseille: a very elegant mackerel, swimming in an elderflower escabeche and topped with a salad of finely iodized sea herbs – ohé ohé!
Schedule
To prepare the fish: Fillet the mackerel and reserve the head, bones, and viscera for the garum. Marinate the fillets for 45 minutes in the salt and sugar mixture. Rinse in ice water. Remove any remaining bones from the fillets, then place them skin-side down in rice vinegar for a few minutes to easily remove the outer skin. Score the second layer of mackerel skin, then carefully torch it without cooking the fish. Set aside.
Escabeche: Toast the aromatic garnish for about ten minutes. Deglaze and moisten with the mixture of white balsamic vinegar and white wine.
Bring to a boil, add the sugar, then simmer over very low heat for at least an hour without reducing the liquid. Strain the escabeche, then while still warm, infuse the elderflower in it for 30 minutes. Strain again, then add the agar-agar to slightly thicken the escabeche. Chill thoroughly.
Seaweed salad: Mix samphire, rock samphire, dill, and borage flowers. Dress with chive oil, white balsamic vinegar, and mackerel garum.
To serve: Cut the mackerel fillet in half and place the halves one on top of the other. Arrange the seaweed salad on top of the mackerel and cover with an oyster leaf. Pour the very lightly set escabeche into the bottom of the plate and drizzle with citrus peel oil or olive oil.
