Pink pepper-cured mackerel with lemon labneh on toast

Ingredients

• 100g Greek yoghurt
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 20g sea salt
• 5g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp pink peppercorns
• 2 Cornish mackerel fillets, pin-boned, skin-on
• 2 thick slices of sourdough
• Olive oil, to serve
• Dill, to serve

Method

Add the Greek yoghurt to a bowl, then beat through the lemon zest and a small pinch of salt. Transfer to a sieve lined with kitchen towel. Set this over a bowl, cover, and leave in the fridge overnight. The yoghurt will slowly drain and thicken into a dense, mild labneh.

The next day, blitz the salt, sugar and peppercorns in a spice grinder. Scatter half the cure over a tray, lay the fillets skin-side down on top, then cover with the remaining mixture. Leave to cure for an hour or so, until it firms up a little.

Rinse the fillets briefly under cold running water to remove the cure, then pat dry with kitchen towel. Toast the sourdough and, while it colours, slice the mackerel across the fillets into neat strips.

Spread the toast generously with the lemon labneh. Arrange the cured mackerel over the top, drizzle with olive oil, and finish with large fronds of dill.

Image: Ben Slater