FISH AND VEGETABLES
800g/1¾lb small potatoes
2 heads broccoli
4tbsp capers
3tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper
6 medium or 3 large mackerel, gutted and cleaned
2tbsp grated horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon
SAUCE
150g/⅔ cup crème fraîche/sour cream
2tbsp grated horseradish
Juice of 1 lemon
This is a relatively simple supper, especially if you can get your fishmonger to prepare the fish for you. It’s a lovely dish to put down in the middle of the table, if mid-week guests (or Pevensies) come to call.
Serves 6
1. Chop any potatoes larger than a walnut into a couple of pieces, and bring to a simmer in a saucepan of salted water. Cook for 10 minutes, then drain.
2. Heat the oven to 200C fan/425F/gas 7. Chop the broccoli into small florets, and arrange around the edges of a roasting dish. Tip the boiled potatoes and capers into the centre, then drizzle everything with the olive oil, and season generously.
3. Make three cuts into the side of each fish, and fill these with the horseradish. Season the inside of the fish with pepper and a squeeze of lemon, and the outside with salt. Lay on top of the potatoes.
4. Place the tray in the oven, and roast for 25 minutes. Remove the fish from the pan, increase the heat to 220C fan/475F/gas 9, toss the vegetables together, and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Pull the fillets away from the central backbone, and pull any errant bones out with tweezers or your fingers. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a bowl.
5. Place the fillets back over the vegetables, and bring the pan to the table, along with the sauce.