Blackened mackerel tacos with gooseberry salsa

Serves 4-6 Starters and mains

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Method

Four to six hours before you want to cook, lay the mackerel fillets, skin-side up, on a rack set over a tray and slide into the fridge so the skin can dry – this will help minimise sticking. A couple of hours before you want to cook, make a fish spice rub by stirring together the garlic, cumin, paprika, chilli, oil, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl. Spread all over the mackerel and slide back into the fridge to marinate.

Meanwhile, for the tortillas, put the masa harina in a mixing bowl and stir through the salt. Pour in 400ml warm water (half boiling mixed with half cold) and mix. Once it has come together as a ball, tip on to the worktop and knead briefly for a minute or so. Wrap in clingfilm or baking parchment and set aside at room temperature to rest. It will be easier to press or roll after a good couple of hours’ rest. Make the slaw by mixing together the cabbage and a good sprinkle of salt, using clean hands to massage the salt in to soften the cabbage (this makes it easier to eat). Add the red pepper and spring onions and stir through along with the olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste, then season well with pepper. Set aside. If preparing in advance, it will keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

When ready to cook, fire up the barbecue for direct grilling, setting a large frying pan over the fire to heat up ready for cooking the tortillas. Alternatively, you can cook them on the hob inside if you prefer. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, shaping each into a ball. If you have one, use a tortilla press lined with a sheet of greaseproof paper or clingfilm to press into discs around 3mm thick. If you don’t have a press, hand-shape with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of greaseproof paper. Lift a tortilla on to the hot pan, taking a little care as they are fragile when uncooked. You may find it easier to peel off one side of the paper, invert it on to the hot surface, then peel away the other piece. Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook on the other. Wrap in foil or a clean teatowel to keep warm and pliable and repeat with the rest of the dough. With practice, and depending on the size of your pan, you may be able to get into a rhythm of pressing and cooking several at once.

Once all the tortillas are cooked and wrapped, set a grill tray over the fire to get hot and rest a flameproof frying pan on top of it, ready for the salsa. Pour the olive oil into the frying pan and tip in the gooseberries. Stir through the chilli and sugar, shut the lid of the barbecue and leave for around 10-15 minutes or until the gooseberries have collapsed. Stir through the coriander and taste to check for sourness – you may want to add a little more sugar. Scoop into a serving bowl and set aside. Make sure the fire and the grill tray are both hot – add a little more fuel if you need to and remove the lid of the barbecue to let the oxygen flow freely.

Rest the fish on the grill tray, skin-side down, and set a fish weight or pan on top of them to stop them curling up. Grill for just 2-3 minutes until the skin is crisp. Use a fish slice to tease them off the grill tray, flip over and cook for just a minute or so on the flesh side.

To serve, cut the mackerel into chunky slices. Spoon a little slaw into each tortilla and top with a slice or two of fish. Add a spoon of the gooseberry salsa, a little dollop of soured cream and a sprinkle of coriander.