zoom
  • Print A4 A5
  • Save to your scrapbook
    • Close

    Save to your scrapbook

    Grilled Mackerel 'Sandwich' with Pistachio Pesto

    This will be saved to your scrapbook

    You can also add it to one of your existing cookbooks

    *mandatory
      Close

      Email this recipe to a friend

      Send a link to this recipe to a friend or your own e-mail address as a reminder

      * mandatory
    • Write note
      Close

      Add Note

      *mandatory

      The recipe will be added to your scrapbook

    • Home
    • Recipes
    • g
    • Grilled Mackerel 'Sandwich' with Pistachio Pesto

    Grilled Mackerel 'Sandwich' with Pistachio Pesto

    This makes a wonderful picnic dish when stuffed into pittas, but if I were serving it at home, I would pile it up on a plate and turn it into something altogether more special.

    • Preparation time: 15 minutes
    • Cooking time: 90 minutes
    • Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes 60 minutes 45 minutes

    Serves: 4

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium tomatoes
    • 1 tsp light muscovado sugar
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 4 mackerel fillets, about 100g each
    • 4 pittas
    • 150g thick Greek yogurt
    • 1 lime, cut into wedges
    • 4 tbsp olive oil
    • Pesto
    • 40g pistachio nuts, shelled
    • 10g coriander, roughly chopped
    • 10g mint, roughly chopped, plus a few leaves to decorate
    • 10g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus a few leaves to decorate
    • 1 lime, finely grated zest and 2 tbsp juice
    • 1 small mild chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
    • 1 garlic clove, crushed

    Method

    1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas 1. Cut the tomatoes in half along their 'belly' and place on a roasting tray, skin-side down. Scatter with the sugar and 1 crushed garlic clove; season and drizzle over 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are dried but still juicy.
    2. Meanwhile, make the pesto (try to do this as late as possible before serving; the pesto tends to discolour, though the flavour is not affected by this). Put the pistachios in a blender and process until fine. Add the remaining pesto ingredients and blend again. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
    3. Debone the mackerel fillets. Rub with the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and season well. Heat a ridged griddle pan or barbecue and cook the fish skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until cooked through.
    4. Grill the pittas for 1–2 minutes, then place each on a serving plate. Mix the Greek yogurt with the remaining crushed garlic and spoon it over, then top generously with the pesto. Place a mackerel fillet and a tomato half on each pitta. Scatter over some mint and parsley and serve with the lime wedges. Alternatively, just stuff everything inside the pitta for a picnic.

    Your recipe note

    Edit your recipe note

    Drinks recommendation

    Authentically dry vinho verde is light enough to quaff but also has enough vivacity to cut the mackerel’s richness.

    Comments

    Average user rating

    5 stars

    Glossary