Salt Cured Mackerel Salad with Samphire and Grapefruit

Salt cured mackerel fillet salad with grapefruit, samphire, quick “pickled” radishes and shallots served with crispy toasted rye read.

There are lots of elements to this light main course salad, but there is only 5-6 minutes of cooking time, the rest of it is all preparation and presentation!

Mackerel and Samphire Salad

I have alluded to the fact that I love mackerel a lot here on Krumpli.

This cured mackerel fillet salad represents part of the spectrum of my food heaven. I don’t really care what my last meal is so long as it has glorious mackerel on it!

It is a wonderful fish, it tastes amazing, it is “cheap” and it is just as good smoked as it is fresh.

My smoked mackerel recipes range from mackerel kedgeree and smoked mackerel frittata to this smoked mackerel salad with apple and bacon.

Fresh mackerel recipes are equally diverse, I have everything from whole baked mackerel with potatoes and devilled mackerel fillets to a wonderful Indian mackerel curry.

My latest offering is a home salt-cured mackerel salad with samphire, grapefruit, quick pickles and rye bread.

It’s a dish that screams about the alchemy of cooking. The oily string flavour of mackerel is a beautiful contrast to the sharp and fruity grapefruit.

And that grapefruit runs throughout the dish, the zest appears in the salt cure and some of the flesh gets charred and served in the dish.

In addition, the juice is used to make a sweet pickle for radishes and it also features in the dressing.

The sour saltiness of samphire seasons the dish and it is rounded out with some beautiful rye bread to add texture and body.

I adore this dish, it feels special, yet it is remarkably cheap to make and it’s a real looker too!

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you mean by “V-Cut” the bones from the mackerel fillets?

There are two approaches to boning fish, the first is to use some tweezers and pull the pin bones.

The second is to V-cut the bones out. I prefer this method in this recipe because you are guaranteed to get rid of all the bones!

You take a very sharp knife and make a V-shaped cut (Imaginative hey) on each side of the bones along the centre of the fish, taking care not to cut through the flesh. Then pull away the attached flesh and bones.

What is Samphire?

Samphire is a sea “herb” that seems to be fairly closely associated with the UK, sorry if you are reading this form outside of the UK!

Can I use anything other than samphire?

Yes, this dish works well with thin asparagus and even tenderstem broccoli. You do need to season both generously with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Is there an alternative to using grapefruit?

Yes, this recipe works really well with a couple of large oranges, but it is a little sweeter.

You should consider adding a little vinegar (apple, white wine or sherry vinegars work well) to the pickling liquid at stage 7.

A IMPORTANT NOTE!

This is a cured fish recipe, as a result, you want your fish to be as fresh as possible. So make friends with a local fishmonger, tell them what you are making and take their lead.

Recipe Variations

This section of my recipe is usually reserved for serving suggestions. However, I think this salt-cured mackerel salad is perfectly balanced as it is.

But there is lots here for you to play with and I have a few suggestions to make this wonderful salad your own.

First of all, I am aware that samphire is not always readily available, particularly if you do not live in the UK. Asparagus makes a wonderful alternative despite it having a very different flavour.

Use thin asparagus spears, cut off the tips and cut the stems into bite-sized pieces. Cook them for a minute longer than the samphire but in the same way, and add a quarter teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of grapefruit juice to the water.

If grapefruit is not your thing, use some oranges, blood oranges are particularly good. The process of making this salad is identical, although I would add a tablespoon or two (depending on the sweetness of the orange) to the pickling liquid (step 7).

As for the bread, go to town, choose what you like! But I love the earthy almost sour flavour of sourdough rye bread with this recipe.

If you are not digging the bread, toss in some boiled baby potatoes ether room temperature or slightly warm and job done!

Equipment Used

I only mention brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Blowtorch or a grill/broiler.
• Hob/stovetop.
• 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
• 2 baking trays large enough to hold the mackerel fillets.
• Kitchen knife.
• Chopping board.
• Citrus zester.
• Fish tweezers if you are pin boning the fish.
• Mixing bowls.
• A jar or bowl to make the dressing.
• Fine mesh sieve.