Hot-smoked mackerel, grilled pear and endive salad

Winter

Hot-smoked mackerel is a fairly resilient thing. Because the fish has been salted and hot-smoked (cooked), it lasts far longer than fresh fish. This makes it an ideal ingredient to pack up and take camping with you. Usually we eat smoked mackerel cold, but it’s so good if you warm it up – the heat from the fire awakens all the wonderful flavours in the fish. I’m serving it with barbecued pears, which are lovely and sweet, and some bitter endive leaves. It’s all brought together with a mustardy dressing and a scattering of chervil, although that’s completely optional.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 pears, quartered and cored
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2–3 hot-smoked mackerel fillets
1 large or 2 smaller endives (chicory), leaves separated
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a handful of chervil, coarser stalks removed, or flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)

For the dressing

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons runny honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Method

Put all the dressing ingredients in a small jar or bowl and season well with salt and pepper. If using a jar, put the lid on and shake to combine. Stir if you’re using a bowl.

Cut the pear quarters to give you a whole lot of wedges. Trickle the wedges with extra-virgin olive oil and season them lightly.

When your fire has burned back and you have a nice bed of glowing embers, set a grill down over the fire and let it get hot. Arrange the pear wedges over the grill. Let them cook for a few minutes, then turn them. Lay the mackerel fillets, skin-side down, next to the pears. They’re already cooked so just need warming through.

Arrange the endive (chicory) leaves over two plates. Scatter over the caramelized pears and tear over nice chunks of smoked mackerel. Trickle everything with the dressing and serve, with or without the chervil or parsley.

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