Filetti di sgombro al forno
This is delicious at any time of the year, but I particularly like baked mackerel in early spring with creamy mashed potato.
➤ Serves 2
➤ Preparation 15 minutes
➤ Cooking 15 minutes
➤ 2 large mackerel, cut into 4 fillets
➤ 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
➤ 2 tbsp soft white breadcrumbs
➤ 1 tbsp salted capers, chopped
➤ 2 large anchovy fillets, rinsed, chopped
➤ 1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
➤ 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
➤ 1 tbsp pine nuts, chopped
➤ 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
➤ Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 190ºC/Gas Mark 5. Trim, wash and pat dry the fish. Use a third of the oil to grease an ovenproof dish in which the 4 fillets as ‘sandwiches’ will fit snugly side by side.
Place 2 fillets in the dish on top of the oil, skin side down. Mix together half of the remaining oil with the breadcrumbs, capers, garlic, parsley, pine nuts and cheese. Season to taste. Go easy on the salt as the capers, anchovies and cheese are quite salty.
Put this mixture on top of the 2 fillets in the dish, pressing down quite firmly to secure it. Lay the other 2 fillets on top and press down. Leftover filling can be sprinkled over the top.
Drizzle over the rest of the oil and sprinkle lightly with 2 tbsp of cold water or dry white wine. Bake in the top part of the oven for about 15 minutes, then rest for 3 minutes on top of the stove or on the kitchen table before serving.
Educated in Italy, Valentina Harris brought her qualifications for teaching and cooking from Rome to London in 1976. Her Anglo-Italian springtime suppers are fabulously tasty – and ready in under an hour…