Torched mackerel, tirokafteri, tomato & apricot chutney & pitta chips
METHOD
1 For the tirokafteri: Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor until they are well combined and smooth. Depending on your preference, you can add a red chilli or 2 if you like. Once made, season with a little salt and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. 2 For the chutney: Dice the shallots, half the tomatoes and segment the apricots into 8 each. Remember to keep at least 2 segments and 2 half tomatoes for each dish you are making as we will grill them later and use as garnish on the dish.
In a heavy-based pan, sweat the shallots in a little oil. Once translucent, throw in the tomatoes and apricots. Add the water & sugar and cook on a low heat for about 1 hour. If a chutney consistency hasn’t been reached then add a little more water and cook for longer. Once it’s thick & jam like, spike with the vinegar and cook for about 30 mins. This will let it thicken back up but also take the bite out of the vinegar. Once ready, transfer to a tub or kilner jar and allow to cool. Once cool, store in the fridge for up to 1 week. 3 Cooking & Serving: You can use the tirokafteri and chutney on the day of making but I like to leave them in the fridge for a few days to let the flavours mature a little, especially in the tirokafteri!
Get some fresh mackerel fillets from your fishmonger – don’t forget to ask for the pin bones to be removed.
Cook the pitta under the grill or, even simpler, in the toaster, just make sure you splash a little water on to it to ensure it goes chewy and soft.
Place a dollop of tirokafteri topped with some chutney in a bowl and allow to come to room temperature. Score the skin lightly with a sharp knife, season with salt, and transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet.
You can use a blowtorch to cook the mackerel fillets – or cook them under the grill, either method should only take around 4 mins. The scoring of the skin should stop the fillet from curling up and making your dish look messy. I like my mackerel mediumrare – generally not a thing but if it’s super fresh then you should be looking for a little bit of pink/translucency in the middle of the fillet when you break into it.
While the mackerel cooks, season the saved tomatoes and apricot segments with a little salt and brown sugar and grill for 3 mins. Serve immediately with toasted pitta
chips to mop everything up.