Tristan Rebbettes barbequed blue mackerel with purplette onions, roasted red bell peppers, oyster mushroom and sweet and sour currant sauce recipe is a weekend must-try recipe, especially when paired with a Fiano.
Ingredients
1 large or 2 small blue mackerel (ask your fish monger to fillet or butterfly –alternately you can substitute the mackerel for another oily fish)
4 bulbs purplette onions (alternatively use 1 red onion)
2 red bell peppers
1 punnet oyster mushrooms
1 white witlof
Sweet and sour currant sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot diced
1 tbsp caster sugar
30g dried currants
6 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp white wine
Recipe by Tristan Rebbettes
Photography by Ashley St George
Method
1. In a saucepan over a medium heat, add the olive oil and diced shallots. Sweat the shallots off for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer and reduce by two thirds.
2. Meanwhile, place another saucepan on the stove full of water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to the boil. Peel the onions keeping whole if using purplette onions (or cut into 8 wedges if red onion) then place into the boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove and place into ice water to stop cooking. Once cooled, remove from the water and drain. Set aside for cooking later.
3. Remove the mackerel from the fridge to come to room temperature.
4. For the witlof, cut the base off and remove the individual petals. Keep to one side ready for the barbeque.
5. On a hot charcoal barbeque, completely char the red bell peppers so that the outside is black all around. Place the charred red bell peppers into a container for 10 minutes to allow them to sweat in their own steam. Remove and peel off the skins and cut open to remove the seeds. Cut the pepper into large strips and keep aside in a warm spot.
6. Place the oyster mushrooms and onions onto the barbeque and cook, charring a little if so desired. Add the witlof to the barbeque just to wilt and slightly breakdown, but to also have a little bite.
7. Warm the currant sweet and sour sauce up to a simmer, and in a bowl add the barbeque oyster mushrooms, red bell pepper, witlof and onions. Dress with sauce and toss.
8. Very lightly oil the skin of the mackerel, season with sea salt and place skin-side down onto the barbeque. If you have a fish cage place the fish into the cage to put over the barbeque skin-side down. Cook until the flesh starts to turn opaque. Manage the heat so you do not burn the skin whilst it is cooking skin-side down. Turn the fish over just to seal the flesh meat. Remove from heat and serve.
9. To serve, place garnished barbequed veggies on the base of a dish. Dress with remaining sauce, and place mackerel
over the top.
Wine Match
Fiano