Grilled mackerel and spring onion salad with green sauce

Serves 4

Mackerel is such a wonderful fish, very versatile.  This recipe would work well on the barbecue too.  Green sauce or salsa verde is a delicious accompaniment to many things.  In the summer it is particularly versatile for dressing salads or serving with grilled fish or meat.  It keeps well in a jar in the fridge for at least a week, the colour may change a little but it is easy to pep it up with a few fresh herbs.  Once you have got the hang of green sauce you can balance the herbs as you wish.

For the salad
2 whole mackerel
4 spring onions
600g broad beans
450g peas
250g salad leaves
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 lemon
150ml olive oil
200g stale bread
Salt and pepper

First of all make the green sauce
Once the sauce is made, put a pan of water on to boil and pod the peas and broad beans.  Salt the water and blanch the peas for a minute, then lift them out and run them under cold water to cool as quickly as possible.  Next blanch the beans, refresh them under water and pop them out of their skins.   Make some croutons, cut the bread into small cubes toss them in a drizzle of olive oil and some pepper.  Bake in a medium oven until golden and crisp. Take them out and leave them to cool.  Wash the salad leaves and dry them.  Make a very simple dressing by whisking the mustard with lemon and gradually add the oil, until you have a nice emulsified sauce, stir in a teaspoon of green sauce and season to taste.
Preheat the grill to its highest setting and fillet the mackerel and trim the spring onions.  Oil a baking tray and place the spring onions on it, season them and put the tray under the grill, once the spring onions have softened and browned a little, turn them over and season the fish fillets and place them skin side up on top of the spring onions.  Grill for about 4 minutes until the skin is crisp and browned, turn the fillets over and spoon some green sauce onto the flesh side of each one.  Put the fish back under the grill and cook for about 4 minutes.
While the mackerel is cooking put the peas, beans, croutons and leaves into a large bowl and season well.  Add a little dressing and toss the lot together.  Divide between 4 plates and when the mackerel and spring onions are ready place on top pour any pan juices over and serve immediately.

Courtesy of Rosie Sykes