Mackerel with Quinoa & Tomato Salad
Mackerel is one of the highly recommended oily fish to eat as part of a healthy diet. Mackerel is found in deep temperate and tropical waters and it is rich in essential oils, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids occur in high quantities in this fish. It contains vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K. mackerel is also a great source of high quality protein. Add this to Quinoa, which contains all 9 essential Amino Acids, is high in fibre, as well as other essential vitamins and minerals should have you wondering why you haven't eaten this dish before.
Ingredients.
For Salad
1 mug (300g) quinoa
½ lemon
800g ripe mixed-colour tomatoes
1 fresh red chilli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For Mackerel
4 x 200g whole mackerel, scaled and gutted
1 heaped teaspoon ground coriander
olive oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 cloves of garlic
For Garnish
2 heaped tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons jarred horseradish or mustard
a couple of sprigs of fresh basil
Method
Put 1 mug of quinoa and 2 mugs of boiling water into the medium pan with a pinch of salt and the lemon half, then pop the lid on and stir every now and again. On greaseproof paper, score the mackerel on both sides at 2cm intervals down to the bone. Rub all over with salt, pepper and the ground coriander, then put into the large frying pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Slice the tomatoes any way you like and arrange on a large board or platter, then finely slice and sprinkle over the chilli. Strip the rosemary leaves over the fish, then crush and add the whole garlic cloves. Turn the fish when golden (roughly 4 to 5 minutes on each side).
When the quinoa is cooked (after roughly 10 minutes), drain it and use tongs to squeeze over the lemon juice, then spoon the quinoa into the centre of the tomatoes. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil and balsamic, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the crispy fish on top. Mix the yoghurt and horseradish or mustard together and dollop it over the fish. Pick over the basil leaves and serve.
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