Mackerel, garden green sauce, cucumber, pickled grapes

Mackerel, garden green sauce, cucumber, pickled grapes

WE have another signature dish for you from one of the top chefs in Derbyshire. It’s executive chef Adam Harper of The Cavendish Hotel, Baslow, who offers a lovely mackerel dish. Adam went to The Cavendish in 2018, and has elevated The Gallery Restaurant to three AA rosettes.

Adam joined The Devonshire Hotel & Restaurant Group in October 2018 after honing his craft at the Michelin-starred Fischer’s at Baslow Hall and leading the team at Rowley’s of Baslow.
Above: Adam joined The Devonshire Hotel & Restaurant Group in October 2018 after honing his craft at the Michelin-starred Fischer’s at Baslow Hall and leading the team at Rowley’s of Baslow.
Mackerel, garden green sauce, cucumber, pickled grapes
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Mackerel, garden green sauce, cucumber, pickled grapes

Ingredients

  • Mackerel, filleted and deboned

  • Mackerel bellies (500g)

  • 500g butter

  • 5 eggs

  • 4 cucumbers

  • Mackerel stock 

  • Bones from 10 fish

  • Bonito flakes (20g)

  • 3 litres water

  • Garden green sauce: 

  • 85g cucumber skin and seed mix

  • 50g parsley 

  • 120g apple juice

  • 10g fresh Jalapeño (deseeded and fresh only)

  • 6g lime juice

  • 100g mackerel stock

  • 2g MSG

  • 20g soy sauce (preferably Shiho Shibanuma) 

  • Pickled grapes: 

  • 1 bunch of grapes (500g)

  • 200g white wine vinegar

  • 100g sugar

Method

  • Curing the Mackerel:
    Cure the top fillet in 50/50 salt and sugar, then wash and vacuum. 
  • Mackerel Stock:
    Roast the bones of 10 fish; then add the bonito flakes (made from tuna) and simmer in the water for three hours, to reduce by half.
    Put the mackerel bellies in a vac pac bag with the butter, all five eggs, and some salt; then leave to come to room temperature. Then steam for five minutes, then place into the thermo mixer as soon as it hits 65degC, then blitz for two minutes, then turn heat off and blitz on full for one minute; then chill. 
  • Preparing the cucumbers:
    Peel all four cucumbers (save peelings), then deseed (save them too). Then season in sea salt for 4 hours. Wash off the salt then freeze. Defrost after 24 hours, then they are ready to use. 
  • Garden Green sauce:
    Blitz all the ingredients together, then weigh the liquid. 
    Add 2% of the total weight of ultra tex (a modified starch used for thickening liquids); then vac in a bag.
  • Pickled grapes: Boil vinegar and sugar, then chill and add to grapes.
    Vac pac for 24 hours until use.
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