Sustainability Salad

The summer is a time for salads. They are green, fresh, and fragrant – a perfect blend of texture, colour, and flavour to match season. Thankfully, they can also be sustainable. A wide range of salad leaves, herbs, and vegetables are in full bloom in the summer months. Here is a one example of a ‘sustainability salad’, with mackerel as the star attraction.

Fisheries have been in the news quite a bit recently, particularly with the release of the documentary End of the Line, which highlights the immense stress many fisheries are under. Organisations such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have published consumer guidelines on what types of fish are appropriate to eat from a sustainability perspective. Generally speaking, the lower a particular species is on the food chain, the more sustainable it tends to be – herring, mackerel, sardines, and anchovies are examples of such environmentally friendly fish.

Mackerel is easily available in the UK and is rather easy to find in some parts of the US as well. It is extremely high in omega 3 and has a strong, but pleasant taste. As an oily fish with an aromatic quality, it is perhaps the Stilton or Roquefort of fish. What to pair with its strong flavour? Salsa verde, or green sauce (without the anchovies), that classic sauce of southern France and Italy, is lovely when dolloped on top of your mackerel fillet. Rest your dolloped fillet on a bed on Puy lentils and watercress. The peppery crunch of the watercress has a flavour that can match the strength of the mackerel, while offsetting its unctuousness. The lentils, sautéed with a bit of onion, celery, and dry white wine/sherry, match reflect the oiliness while grounding the dish with an earth quality. Lentils themselves are healthy and sustainable – many varieties can be sourced from France and the US. In essence you have a salad of layers – fresh, unctuous, fresh, earthy. Enjoy this healthy pick me up anytime - it can be put together in 25 minutes or so. Your palate will thank you, as will the earth.

Sustainability Salad for One – an Alsatian or Clare Valley Riesling from Australia will go well with this dish.

1/2 tin/carton of Puy Lentils – Green lentils can be substituted
1 stick celery
1 onion (or 3-4 shallots)
1 glass dry white wine or Fino Sherry

50-100g of watercress, preferably organic

1 fillet of mackerel, seasoned

Green sauce:

Sprigs of fresh dill, parsley, basil, and mint
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Garlic

1. Sauté your finely chopped celery and onion with olive oil in a skillet over medium heat for 2-4 minutes.

2. Add the wine and lentils in their liquid. Simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

3. Meanwhile, season your mackerel with salt and pepper, place on a tray in a preheated oven at 180C/375F for 10-15 minutes or so.

4. While the lentils are simmering and fish cooking, assemble your green sauce. Finely chop your sprigs of fresh herbs and garlic and place in a mortar and pestle.

5. Add olive oil and a touch of lemon juice (mustard also works) and puree vigourously.

6. Assemble the dish – make a base of the lentils, sprinkle the watercress over the lentils, place the mackerel over this salads base, and top with green sauce on the fish. Enjoy.