Cardigan Bay Grilled Mackerel with Gooseberry Sauce

Name: Cardigan Bay Grilled Mackerel with Gooseberry Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Welsh
Ingredients: 4 whole whole mackerel; 300 g fresh gooseberries; 35 g caster sugar; 25 g salted welsh butter; 45 ml Water; 15 ml rapeseed oil; 5 g sea salt flakes; 2 g Black pepper; 10 g fresh flat-leaf parsley

Whole grilled mackerel with crisp, blistered skin served alongside a sharp, buttery gooseberry sauce that cuts through the rich fish.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· West Wales

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

4 whole whole mackerel — cleaned, gutted, and heads left on if preferred
300 g fresh gooseberries — topped and tailed
35 g caster sugar — adjust to taste based on berry tartness
25 g salted welsh butter — diced
45 ml Water — 3 tbsp for stewing fruit
15 ml rapeseed oil — 1 tbsp for brushing fish
5 g sea salt flakes — 1 tsp
2 g Black pepper — freshly cracked
10 g fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped

Equipment

•Grill (broiler)
•Baking tray
•Small saucepan
•Chef's knife
•Fish slice

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 33 g
carbs: 11 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 34 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven grill to high heat.
2
Line a sturdy baking tray with foil and brush lightly with rapeseed oil.
3
Cut three shallow diagonal slashes into the skin on both sides of each mackerel.
4
Rub the mackerel evenly with rapeseed oil, sea salt flakes, and cracked black pepper.
5
Put the gooseberries, caster sugar, and water into a small saucepan over medium heat.
6
Simmer the fruit gently for 8 minutes until soft and bursting.
7
Remove the pan from the hob, beat in the butter, and crush lightly with a fork.
8
Lay the mackerel onto the prepared baking tray under the hot grill.
9
Grill for 5 to 6 minutes until the skin chars and blisters.
10
Turn the fish carefully with a fish slice and grill the other side for 4 minutes.
11
Transfer the mackerel to warm plates, spoon over the warm gooseberry sauce, and scatter with parsley.

Chef's tips

Taste your gooseberries before making the sauce; if they are early-season green berries, you may need an extra pinch of sugar. Do not move the fish too early under the grill so the skin stays intact and becomes nicely blistered.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh gooseberries → canned gooseberries in light syrup (reduce added sugar to 10g)
salted Welsh butter → plant-based block butter for dairy-free

Storage

Store leftover cooked mackerel and sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to one day.

Reheating

Reheat the fish under a hot grill for 3 minutes and warm the sauce gently in a pan over low heat.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcooking the mackerel, which turns the delicate oily flesh dry.
•Pureeing the gooseberries completely smooth instead of leaving a textured, rustic compote.
•Grilling too far from the heat element, resulting in soggy skin rather than crisp charring.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside buttered Welsh new potatoes boiled with fresh mint.Pair with a crisp summer leaf salad dressed in light vinaigrette.Add thick slices of crusty granary bread to mop up the juices.