By Flying Fish Seafoods

Catching mackerel and barbecuing on the beach with family, friends and a good bottle of wine is one of those little joys in life that holds so many memories. This recipe was developed out of necessity when cooking tools were limited and nature came up with the answer! – Nick Mason

Ingredients

4 line-caught mackerel (I normally catch mine on my kayak)

100g foraged sea lettuce (this can be found on the beach)

Cornish sea salt

1 lemon

4 seeded bread rolls

Salted butter

Method

1. Start by gutting and cleaning the mackerel; you can always ask your fishmonger to do this for you. Get a barbecue nice and hot.

2. Lay the sea lettuce in sheets on a plate and place the prepared mackerel on top. Sprinkle with a small amount of Cornish sea salt and wrap the lettuce around each fish individually.

3. Cut the lemon in half and place both halves flat side down on top of your barbecue, then don’t touch them until you need it. You want to generously caramelise the lemon to intensify the flavour.

4.Place the mackerel parcels on the preheated barbecue and cook for roughly

4 minutes on each side. Don’t worry if the heat from the barbecue seems fierce, as the moisture in the sea lettuce helps to protect the fish while adding an intense depth of flavour.

5. While the parcels are cooking, generously butter the bread rolls.

6. Gently peel back the sea lettuce to reveal the mackerel and carefully remove the flesh from the bone. Place the charred lettuce and the soft mackerel inside the buttered rolls and finish with a generous squeeze of caramelised lemon juice.

7. Serve with a very simple leafy or Greek-style salad, and an ice-cold bottle

of your favourite plonk!

For the Love of the Sea, published by Meze Publishing Limited

A cook book to celebrate the British seafood community and their food

Compiled by Jenny Jefferies