Summershrub Delight: Mackerel and Roasted Pepper Extravaganza
Recipe, Food-Styling, Photo & Styling:Oliver Schwarzwald
The wellness pairing!
All those who have already prepared our summer shrub are in possession of the perfect drink base for the following dish.
But don't worry, you can also make the shrub if the elderberries have faded or there are no fresh strawberries left. Frozen fruit is also suitable. Elderflower syrup from the bottle is also a good substitute for the summer flavour. Only here we need to reduce the sugar at the beginning and then flavour with the syrup later.
Don't forget the lemon zest. Amalfi lemon zest is best. It is edible and adds a very special flavour to the shrub. An excellent little topping for fish.
It is advisable to give the shrub some time in the fridge. Shrubs become softer and more complex over time. It's amazing how much depth such a simple drink can gain if you just leave it to stand. Shrubs actually keep for several months. For example, I rediscovered my plum shrub at the very back of the fridge this March. The jar wasn't labelled, ERROR :-) and had been sitting forgotten in the corner since September 2023. So I went to try it with a good dose of scepticism. To cut a long story short, it was great and the time only had a positive effect on the flavour.
For this dish, I flavoured the summer sherry with more light soy sauce. This makes the drink much more savoury. Infused with a little tonic, it gets the necessary drive.
For me, the fruity and salty notes are the perfect counterpoint to the fried mackerel. Incidentally, it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and minerals. Plus a drink with all the summer vitamins from rhubarb with vitamins C and K, strawberries with folic acid and vitamin B1 and the fantastic elderflower, which is rich in vitamins A and B as well as potassium and iron. A wellness pairing, if you like!
There is also baked red pepper with lots of basil, which is known to go very well with strawberries. And then there's the aforementioned lemon peel, citrusy and subtly tart.
Let the summer begin!
The peppers :
Ingredients for 4 people
3 - 4 medium red peppers
1 pot of basil
3 tbsp vinegar
1 TBSP OIL
salt
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Wash, dry and quarter the peppers, remove the stalk, white partitions and seeds.
Place skin side up on the baking tray and roast for approx. 20-30 minutes until the skin is really dark and blistered.
If the grill is switched on, the time is reduced to approx. 10 minutes. But then check constantly.
Then remove the baking tray from the oven.
Cover the peppers with a damp cloth for 15 minutes. The skin will then be easier to remove.
Cut the peppers into strips.
Chop the basil.
Season the peppers and basil with vinegar, oil and salt.
Put to one side.
Mackerel:
Ingredients for 4 people
2 mackerel
salt
Oil for frying
Lemon zest from the shurb cut into fine strips
Preparation:
Wash and fillet the mackerel.
Pat the fillets dry and lightly score the skin.
Heat the oil in a pan.
Place the fish skin side down in the pan and salt the top side.
Fry briefly over a high heat and then reduce the heat.
As soon as the skin side is crispy, turn the fish over and fry again briefly.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave the fish to stand for a while.
Serve with the paprika and basil mixture and a little lemon zest.
The drink :
Ingredients for 1 drink
Tonic or still water
ice
mint
Preparation:
Place ice cubes in a glass.
Pour in the shrub.
Top up with tonic or water according to taste.
Stir gently and garnish with mint.
The drink should be strong, but not too vinegary.
