 Ducros / Studio Nicolas Louis Seared mackerel fillets with apple confit, rosemary and pine kernels
“The sharpness of the apple in this dish contrasts perfectly with the delicate mackerel.” Rowley Leigh
Ingredients
Serves 4
100g light brown caster sugar
50 ml white wine vinegar
275 ml water
900g Bramley apples. You could try using a Golden Noble in place of a Bramley
6 tbs lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
3 tsp Schwartz Rosemary
275g caster sugar
1 tbs pine kernels
4 tbs olive oil
2 tsp Schwartz Sea Salt
8 mackerel fillets
Method
1. Preheat the oven to low 110°C/225°F/Gas Mark ¼. Combine the brown sugar, vinegar and 75ml of
water in a saucepan, dissolve over a low heat and leave to cool. Peel and core ½ of the apples and
slice into thin rounds. Lay the slices of apple in a tray, brush with ½ the lemon juice and coat liberally
with the sugar and vinegar syrup. Place in the oven for 1½ hours until translucent and crystalline.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool
2. To make the jam peel, core and roughly chop the remaining apples, then place in a saucepan with
the remaining water, lemon zest and 1 tsp rosemary. Stir in the caster sugar and boil until the apple is
puréed and setting point is reached. Allow to cool.
3. Toast the pine kernels under a hot grill until golden brown. Gently warm the olive oil with the remaining
rosemary, add the pine kernels and allow to cool and infuse for thirty minutes.
4. Sprinkle the sea salt flakes over the surface of a large non stick frying pan and place on a high heat. Place the mackerel fillets skin-side down on the hot salt and press down firmly to stop the fillets curling. Turn  Ducros / Studio Nicolas Louis the heat down slightly and cook the fillets on their skin side until you can see that the heat has penetrated halfway through the fillet. Turn the fillets at this point to seal the flesh side very briefly. The mackerel should remain pink and undercooked in the middle. 5. To serve, place two mackerel fillets per person skin-side up on a serving plate. Place 4 slices of apple
on top and serve with the apple jam on the side. Spoon the pine kernels and rosemary oil around the
fish to finish.
Rowley Leigh is the chef and owner of Le Café Anglais,
8 Porchester Gardens, London W2 4BD
Tel: 00 44 (0)20 7221 1415
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