• Not many people rate the lowly mackerel, but if you get one straight off the boat and throw it on the barbecue asap, it’ll be one of the finest pieces of fish you’ll ever eat! Alternatively, you could just buy one and make this absolutely delicious barbecued mackerel with baby marrow and chilli.

    Barbecued mackerel with baby marrow and chilli

    Serves: 4

    Ingredients

    • zest and juice of 1 lime
    • extra virgin olive oil
    • ½ – 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped
    • a small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
    • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 6 baby marrow, a mix of green and yellow
    • 4 mackerel or sardines (about 225g each), cleaned, gutted and gills removed
    • olive oil

    Instructions

    1

    Get the barbecue going so that the coals are hot and glowing in time to start cooking. Mix the lime zest and juice together with double the amount of extra virgin olive oil, the chilli and mint. Season with salt and pepper and put to one side. Slice your baby marrow lengthways, as thinly as possible. A mandolin is ideal for this, but you could use a speed peeler if that’s what you’ve got. Toss the baby marrow slices in the dressing until nicely coated.

    2

    Rub the fish with a little olive oil and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Brush the barbie with a metal brush to make sure the bars are smooth – this will stop your fish from getting stuck. Lay the fish across the bars and let them cook for 3 minutes without touching them. Turn them over very gently and cook for another 2 minutes before moving them to a cooler part of the grill. Let them sit for another 2 minutes before placing on a serving plate with the baby marrow.