Ingredients

For the mackerel tart:
75g rock salt
4 mackerel fillets,
prepared with all bones removed
200g rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp cumin seeds
200g all-butter puff pastry
60g salted butter
4 shallots, peeled, finely sliced
For the salad:
1 large golden beetroot
1 bulb fennel
1 orange
4 baby cooked beetroots
champagne vinegar
olive oil
sea salt & black pepper

Method

To make the mackerel tart, spread half of the rock salt onto a tray just large enough to hold the mackerel. Place the fillets on top and cover with the remaining salt. Make sure the fish is evenly coated with the salt, and set it aside for 2 hours. Then rinse the fillets under cold running water and set aside.
Mix 200g of water with the rice wine vinegar, sugar, lemon juice and cumin seeds together in a deep-sided tray. Place the fish into the liquid for 2 hours, then remove the fish and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Roll out the puff pastry to about 0.5cm thick and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Place another piece of greaseproof paper over the pastry and another baking tray on top of it. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.
At the same time heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add the butter and sweat the shallots very slowly until soft and translucent. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Very carefully cut the cooked puff pastry into 4 pieces the same size as the mackerel fillets.
Slice the mackerel fillets as thinly as possible, retaining the shape of the fillet.
Divide the softened shallot into 4 and spread over the pastry, then carefully place the finely sliced mackerel on top. Place in the preheated oven to heat through for 2 minutes.
To prepare the salad, slice the golden beetroot and fennel very thinly (retain the fronds of the fennel for garnish) and place into a bowl. Peel and segment the orange and add to the bowl with the cooked beetroot.
Dress 4 salads with a little champagne vinegar, olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the fennel fronds, and serve each with a hot mackerel tart.

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