Name: Walnut-stuffed mackerel with rocket and black-eyed pea salad
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Mackerel; 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped; 200 gm walnuts, coarsely chopped; 45 gm breadcrumbs, made from day-old bread (½ cup); 60 gm sultanas; 400 gm can chopped tomatoes; ¼ cup torn flat-leaf parsley leaves; 1 tbsp chopped marjoram or oregano, plus 12 sprigs extra; 8 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped separately; 6 blue mackerel (about 400gm each, see note), cleaned; To serve: lemon cheeks; Salad; 200 gm dried black-eyed peas, soaked in cold water overnight (1 cup); ½ Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced, tossed with 1 tsp sea salt for 15 minutes, rinsed and drained; 100 gm kalamata olives, halved and pitted; 2 tbsp lemon juice; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra, for drizzling; 100 gm wild rocket, loosely packed (4 cups)

Walnut-stuffed mackerel with rocket and black-eyed pea salad

Australian Gourmet Traveller fast recipe for walnut-stuffed mackerel with rocket and black-eyed pea salad

Ingredients

Mackerel

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

200 gm walnuts, coarsely chopped

45 gm breadcrumbs, made from day-old bread (½ cup)

60 gm sultanas

400 gm can chopped tomatoes

¼ cup torn flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tbsp chopped marjoram or oregano, plus 12 sprigs extra

8 green onions, white and green parts finely chopped separately

6 blue mackerel (about 400gm each, see note), cleaned

To serve: lemon cheeks

Salad

200 gm dried black-eyed peas, soaked in cold water overnight (1 cup)

½ Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced, tossed with 1 tsp sea salt for 15 minutes, rinsed and drained

100 gm kalamata olives, halved and pitted

2 tbsp lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra, for drizzling

100 gm wild rocket, loosely packed (4 cups)

Method

Main

1.For rocket and black-eyed pea salad, drain peas and cook in a saucepan of boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender, then drain. Transfer to a bowl, add remaining ingredients except rocket, season to taste and toss to combine. Just before serving, stir in rocket.

2.Meanwhile, combine garlic, walnuts, breadcrumbs, sultanas, ½ cup chopped tomatoes, parsley, chopped marjoram and white part of green onions in a bowl and season to taste.

3.Season mackerel to taste, then divide stuffing among cavities. Place fish, stuffing-side up, in an oiled roasting pan, scatter with marjoram sprigs and reserved green onion tops. Spoon remaining chopped tomatoes around fish, drizzle generously with olive oil and bake at 180C for 25-30 minutes or until fish are just cooked through. Stand fish for 5 minutes before serving drizzled with pan juices, rocket and black-eyed pea salad and lemon cheeks.

Note Blue mackerel is sometimes sold under the name slimy mackerel, but is a very flavoursome fish with scale-free skin.
Notes

Styling by Sophia Young

Ingredients

Method

Main

Related stories