Fish

Griddled mackerel with tenderstem broccoli

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This delicious mackerel recipe comes with ‘agrodolce’ – a traditional sweet and sour sauce from Italy. With omega-3-rich oily fish as the star of the show, it’s good brain food for a lunch or light supper.

Wellbeing Wisdom

  • An oily fish, mackerel is a good source of omega-3, which is linked to cognitive health.
  • Gram for gram, Tenderstem broccoli has twice the vitamin C content of oranges.
  • It is thought that blueberries may have anti-aging properties in the brain by lowering oxidative stress and inflammation.

Ingredients

    For the broccoli

    • 125g Tenderstem broccoli
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 60g walnuts
    • Salt and pepper

    For the agrodolce

    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • 2 shallots, finely sliced
    • 1 garlic clove, chopped
    • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
    • 150g blueberries
    • 2 tbsp honey

    For the mackerel

    • 2 mackerel fillets (approx 90g each)
    • 2 tbsp olive oil
    • Fresh rosemary leaves to serve
    • Salt and pepper

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 180ᵒC/350ᵒF/gas mark 4. Toss the Tenderstem in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. With the back of a knife, crush the walnuts into small pieces and sprinkle over the broccoli, then massage with your hands to cover all the Tenderstem. Place in the oven for 10-12 minutes – checking halfway through to turn them over.
    2. For the blueberry agrodolce, heat the olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and sauté the shallots until golden brown for around three minutes. Add in the garlic for a further 30 seconds, followed by the balsamic vinegar and rosemary. Let it start to cook off for a minute or so before adding the blueberries. Cook together on a low-medium heat for five minutes, adding in 1-2 tbsp of water if needed. When the blueberries have softened and turned a bright purple, add the honey and season well with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to a simmer while you cook the mackerel.
    3. Rub the skin of the mackerel fillets with the olive oil, pepper and a little salt. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat and place the mackerel fillets skin-down on the griddle. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, until the skin is crispy, then flip each fillet and cook for a further minute.
    4. Plate up the Tenderstem broccoli and place the mackerel fillet on top. Spoon over the blueberry agrodolce sauce and garnish with fresh rosemary leaves.