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Mackerel Parcels with Crisp Fennel & Fine Vegetables

Mackerel fillets baked in parchment on a bed of fennel, carrot and celery, lifted with a whole bird's eye chili and a squeeze of lemon at serving. Served with white and borlotti beans tossed with their fronds.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the parcels
  • 4 mackerel fillets about 5 oz each
  • 2 carrots sliced paper-thin
  • 2 celery stalks sliced paper-thin
  • 1 fennel bulb thinly shaved (reserve the fronds)
  • 4 whole bird's eye chilies tips scored
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
To finish
  • Juice of 1 lemon at serving only
For the beans with fronds
  • 1.5 cups cooked white beans drained
  • 1.5 cups cooked borlotti beans drained
  • Reserved fennel and celery fronds chopped
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 400 °F (fan 350 °F). Cut 4 large squares of parchment paper.
  2. Divide the carrot, celery and fennel slices in the center of each parcel. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Lay a mackerel fillet on top of the vegetables, season, then add a scored bird's eye chili. Fold and seal each parcel tightly.
  4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the mackerel flakes easily with a fork.
  5. Meanwhile, make the beans: warm the olive oil with the garlic in a pan, add the white and borlotti beans and heat through for 5 minutes. Fold in the chopped fennel and celery fronds, then season.
  6. Open the parcels, squeeze over the lemon juice just before serving and serve with the beans and fronds.

Notes

Left whole, the bird's eye chili perfumes the parcel without making it hot — lift it out before eating. No fennel? Thinly sliced leek does the job. And keep the lemon out of the parcel: inside, it would cook the mackerel and turn it bitter — a squeeze at the table is all it needs.
 
Whispered by the bots, tested and tasted by Koinkk. 🦆