Grilled Mackerel with Juniper Horchata - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Grilled Mackerel with Juniper Horchata


photo by No Entry Design

Ingredients
  

Juniper Horchata

  • 1 tbsp rice
  • 3 cup water
  • 1 tbsp milk
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 piece juniper berry, toasted & ground
  • zest of ¼ orange

Fennel Puree

  • 1 cup fennel
  • 5 sprigs of parsley
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 sheet Nori, dried and ground into a powder

Rye Breadcrumbs

  • 1 cup stale rye bread
  • 1 tsp butter
  • zest of ¼ orange

Grilled Mackerel

  • 4-3 ounce portions of Spanish Mackerel
  • 2 cup cleaned upland or watercress leaves
  • Segments of 1 orange
  • Olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

For the juniper horchata:

  • Bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Simmer slowly until the rice is very overcooked and mushy, approximately 1 hour. Put in a blender at high speed until very smooth.

For the fennel puree:

  • Boil the fennel in salted water until very tender. Add the parsley and cook 30 seconds. Strain and blend while hot. Use some of the cooking liquid to keep the consistency smooth. Chill the puree over an ice bath immediately to retain a bright green color. Season the puree with a pinch of Nori powder and olive oil.

For the rye breadcrumbs:

  • Dry the bread in an oven. Transfer pieces to a food processor and grind into a coarse meal. Brown the butter in a small pot. Add the zest and breadcrumbs and cook until a toasted aroma develops. Transfer onto a paper towel to absorb excess fat. Dry in the oven as needed.

For the mackerel:

  • Preheat grill or grill pan. Grill mackerel with the skin on.
  • Toss the cress and orange segments with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.
  • Place a small circle of cold fennel puree on each plate. Divide the salad onto the puree. Place the grilled fish over the salad. Heat the horchata gently and foam it with a hand blender. Spoon the foam onto the fish. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.

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