Pan-fried mackerel & leeks on toast

Ingredients

• 2 Cornish mackerel fillets, pin-boned, skin-on
• 50g unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering
• 2 large leeks, washed and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 thick slices of sourdough

Method

Season the mackerel fillets with salt and leave aside to firm up a little while you cook the leeks.

Melt the butter in a wide frying pan over a low heat. Once the butter foams, add the leeks and peel in broad strips of lemon zest.

Season with salt and a pinch of chilli flakes. Cover and cook gently for 12-15 mins, stirring occasionally, until the leeks collapse into a soft, buttery tangle.

Heat a second frying pan, preferably non-stick, over a medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp neutral oil and, once it shimmers, lay in the fillets skin-side down.

Press lightly on the fillets for the first 30 seconds to prevent curling. Cook for 2-3 mins until the skin is crisp, then flip briefly onto the flesh side for around 10 seconds. Transfer to a board skin-side up and leave for 1-2 mins so the residual heat finishes the cooking. Toast the bread while you wait.

Butter the toast, pile on the warm leeks and finish each slice with a fillet of mackerel.

Image: Ben Slater