Istanbul’s famous mackerel sandwiches (balik ekmek )

Walking along the Bosporus in Istanbul, one of the most iconic sights is that of people standing at the side of the water behind small barbecues, grilling fresh mackerel for these tasty takeaway sandwiches, that are best eaten staring out at the bobbing waters.

20 MINUTES | SERVES 2 | EASY

red onion ¼ small, sliced ciabatta rolls 2, halved mackerel fillets 2 olive oil mint a small handful of leaves, roughly chopped

carrot ½, grated

rocket a large handful

tomato 1 ripe, finely sliced DRESSING

extra-virgin olive oil 2 tbsp, plus more to serve lemon juice 2 tbsp

pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp

sumac ¼ tsp

pul biber chilli flakes or other mild chilli flakes ¼ tsp

garlic ½ clove, bashed

1 Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar with

1/4 tsp each of salt and black pepper. Seal, then shake vigorously and set aside for 5 minutes.

2 Put the onion in a shallow bowl, pour over the dressing (removing the garlic) and leave to marinate – this removes some of the onion’s astringency. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/ fan 180C/gas 6. Heat the rolls in the oven for 5 minutes, until lightly toasted.

3 Spoon a couple of tsp of the dressing over the flesh side of the mackerel fillets, then season generously with salt. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the fillets, skin-side down, for 3-4 minutes. Once the skin has begun to crisp up, flip the fillets and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side, until just cooked through. While the fish is cooking, put the mint, carrot and rocket in the bowl with the onion and toss well.

4 When the mackerel is ready, transfer the fish to a plate lined with kitchen paper and begin assembling the sandwiches. Drizzle the cut sides of the toasted rolls with extra-virgin olive oil, then layer on the mackerel, followed by the tomatoes with a pinch of salt, the carrots, then a couple of tsp of the dressing. Put on the tops of the rolls and serve.

PER SERVING 726 kcals | fat 42G saturates 7G | carbs 56.2G | sugars 12.6G fibre 5.5G | protein 28.1G | salt 2.1G