“Mackerel has a wonderful flavour. It’s relatively easy to prepare but must be absolutely fresh, and here the sharp fruit chutney cuts through the rich, oily fish so well. I adore gooseberries—they go beautifully with oily fish, as well as in a sweet crumble or fool.”

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 fillets of fresh mackerel, boned and filleted, try doing it yourself or get a fishmonger to help

250g gooseberries

1 Bramley apple

1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped

100ml cider vinegar

75g unrefined sugar

A few spices like a star anise and a clove or two

1 tablespoon of cold-pressed rapeseed oil for frying

A squeeze of lemon juice

Good salt and pepper

Edible flowers and wild wood sorrel (optional)

METHOD

Begin by peeling and coring the apple. Cut it into a medium dice and add to a pot along with half the gooseberries, the onion, vinegar, spices and sugar then bring to the boil. This should only take about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and, keeping an eye on the pot, let it cook gently for about an hour until the ingredients almost resemble a purée.

Then add the remaining gooseberries, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook on a low heat for a further 20 minutes until all the ingredients are cooked and it looks like a light-coloured chutney. This will keep well in a sterilised jar in your fridge or cupboard. You can play around with different fruits and spices next time you make some.

To cook the mackerel, place a non-stick frying pan on a moderately hot heat on the hob, and add the cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and make sure the fish is dry. When the oil is hot, gently add the fish to the pan, skin side down, and cook carefully. If it seems to hot, turn the heat down. Cook on the skin side for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s a lovely golden colour then carefully flip the fish over using a palette knife or fish slice and cook until the fish is warmed through. Check the seasoning and add a splash of lemon juice.

Serve at once with the chutney (cold or warm) and garnish with wood sorrel and a few edible flowers.