Everyday recipes : Entrées

Four 120g mackerel fillets

• 400g coarse sea salt
• 100g sugar
• 150ml of crème fraiche
• Two good-sized sprigs of tarragon
• Table salt, freshly ground pepper, olive oil
• To decorate: a few cherries or raspberries or strawberries if in season and local
• Celery and beetroot pickles (prepared in advance)

Prepare the pickles in advance: finely chop and lightly blanch the vegetables for two minutes in 100g of boiling water, with 100g of cider vinegar and 30g of granulated sugar. Set aside in a cool place before cooking the main dish.

Remove any remaining bones from the mackerel fillets, then season with pepper and cover the fish with a mixture of sea salt and sugar for an hour and a quarter.

While the fish is marinading, finely chop the tarragon and use a whisk to mix the chopped tarragon into the crème fraiche; season and put aside in a cool place.

Rinse the fillets, pat them dry and sprinkle with olive oil.

Plating up:

Present the elements on the plates in a way that pleases you, with a seasonal accent. Depending on the available local fruit, raspberries could be replaced with half cherries or quarter strawberries.