Clean flavors here, a delightful main-course salad for a summer’s day. You could use other fish, such as red mullet, if you prefer, but the richness of mackerel’s flesh goes well with the sweet beets and tart marinade. Some watercress would be good with this, and maybe a few slices of dark bread and butter.

　　

Ingredients

enough for 4

　　medium beets (golden or otherwise) – 4

　　a little olive oil

　　mackerel – 4, filleted

　　

For the Marinade

cider vinegar – 3 1/2 tablespoons (50ml)

　　lemon juice – 1/2 cup (120ml)

　　bay leaves – 2

　　a small carrot

　　an onion

　　garlic – a small clove

　　sugar – a teaspoon

　　coriander seeds – a teaspoon

　　juniper berries – about 12

　　white peppercorns – 5

　　black peppercorns – 5

　　olive oil – 1/3 cup (80ml)

　　a little fresh dill – finely chopped

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Wash the beets and wrap them in foil, then bake for fifty minutes or so, until tender—or, if you prefer, boil them in deep, unsalted water for about thirty minutes, until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Remove and discard their skins. Slice into thick rounds and set aside.

　　

Step 2

For the marinade, pour the vinegar and lemon juice into a stainless-steel saucepan with 2/3 cup (150ml) water. Add the bay leaves. Scrub the carrot and slice it finely. Peel the onion and slice that similarly. Peel and squash the garlic and add it to the pan, together with the carrot and onion, sugar, coriander seeds, and juniper berries. Bring all to a boil, then add a teaspoon of salt and the peppercorns. Pour in the olive oil and let the mixture simmer for a minute or two, until the onion has softened slightly. Turn off the heat.

　　

Step 3

Warm a little olive oil in a nonstick frying pan. Season the fish fillets and lay them, skin side down, in the oil. Let them color, then turn them over. Lift them from the pan and place in a shallow dish.

　　

Step 4

Add the dill and beets to the marinade. Pour over the fish and let cool. Lift the fish onto plates and spoon over the vegetables and juices.

　　Tender