Mackerel with Rhubarb (Irish)
Submitted by rita55
Irish mackerel with rhubarb stuffing and a tangy rhubarb puree sauce. Fillets rolled around a breadcrumb-rhubarb-onion filling and baked until flaky. A traditional Irish pairing.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
15 minREADY
45 minRhubarb and mackerel is a pairing that goes back generations in Irish cooking. The sharp, tart rhubarb cuts through the rich, oily fish the same way lemon does, but with more depth and a distinctly seasonal character.
The rhubarb works double duty here. Chopped stalks cooked with onion and breadcrumbs become the stuffing that gets spread across each fillet before rolling. A separate batch of rhubarb stewed with sugar and lemon zest gets pureed into a smooth, tangy sauce served alongside.
Lay the fillets skin-side down, spread the stuffing evenly, and roll them up tight. They go into a greased oven dish seam-side down so they hold their shape during baking.
Kitchen Tips
- Choose firm, bright-colored rhubarb stalks. Limp stalks are past their prime and will turn to mush too quickly in the stuffing.
- Cook the stuffing rhubarb just 5 minutes so it softens but keeps some texture. Overcooked rhubarb dissolves into the breadcrumbs and the stuffing turns wet.
- The sauce can be served hot or cold. Hot sauce feels more like a traditional dinner; cold sauce works as a sharp condiment.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest in the sauce. It brightens the rhubarb and keeps it from tasting flat.
Variations
- Gooseberry sauce: Swap the rhubarb sauce for a traditional Irish gooseberry sauce for a different tart fruit pairing.
- Trout version: Use trout fillets instead of mackerel for a milder, less oily fish with the same stuffing.
- Oat-crusted: Add rolled oats to the breadcrumb stuffing for a more textured, nutty filling.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the margarine (or butter) and cook the onion in it until transparent.
Add the chopped rhubarb, season with pepper and salt and continue to cook gently for 5 minutes.
Then add bread crumbs and stir the mixture.
Now lay the mackerel filets out flat, skin side down, and spread the stuffing on them.
Roll each up, put them in a greased oven dish and cook them in a moderate oven (400F) for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the fish are being cooked, make the rhubarb sauce by placing all the ingredients listed in a saucepan and stewing tehm until the rhubarb is cooked and quite soft.
This will take 10 minutes or a little longer.
Then put the cooked rhubarb through a fine sieve or the blender, to make a purée of it.
This can be served either hot or cold with the cooked mackerel.
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