Mackerel En Croûte With Gooseberry Chutney
This recipe combines the rich and creamy flavors of salmon mousse-stuffed mackerel with a tangy and sweet gooseberry chutney. The mackerel is wrapped in buttery puff pastry and baked until golden-brown, creating a visually stunning and delicious dish. Serve the mackerel halves with a generous dollop of the flavorful chutney for a delightful meal that is sure to impress.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 125g/4½oz caster sugar
- 50g/2oz sultanas
- 2 fresh thyme
- 40g/1¾oz piece fresh root ginger
- ½ shallot
- 100ml/3½fl oz cider vinegar
- 300g/10½oz fresh gooseberries
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250g/9oz salmon
- 1 lemon
- 110ml/4fl oz double cream
- 4 whole mackerel
- 4 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 600g/1lb 5oz ready-made all-butter puff pastry
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the chutney, heat the sugar in a large, heavy-based pan over a low heat, stirring well until it has melted and turned golden-brown (CAUTION: boiling sugar is extremely hot. Handle very carefully. Use a deep pan to avoid bubbling over.). Stir in the sultanas, thyme, ginger and shallot.
- Add the cider vinegar and gooseberries to the pan, stir well and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gooseberries have softened and broken down. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside to cool slightly.
- For the mackerel, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7.
- Blend the salmon and lemon juice to a fine paste in a food processor. With the motor still running, gradually add the cream in a thin stream until all of the cream has been incorporated into the mixture and the paste has thickened to a fluffy mousse. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- One by one, carefully stuff the cavities of the mackerel first with the tarragon leaves, then with the salmon mousse.
- Roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 0.5cm/¼in. Cut the pastry into four rectangles - these should be long enough to wrap around the stuffed fish and half as wide as the fish (about 15cm x 18cm/6in x 7in).
- Brush each pastry rectangle with a little of the beaten egg, then wrap one rectangle around the middle of each fish, pressing the ends of the pastry together underneath the fish to seal (use a little more beaten egg for this if necessary).
- Place the wrapped, stuffed fish onto a baking tray. Wrap the tail of each fish in greased aluminium foil to stop them from burning. Sprinkle a little sea salt over each fish.
- Bake the stuffed mackerel in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the pastry is risen and golden-brown and the fish are cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for about five minutes.
- To serve, cut each mackerel in half and serve with a dollop of gooseberry chutney.
Cook Time
1H
Prep Time
PT30M
Yield
Serves 4
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