OVERVIEW
I love cooking beetroots dirty in the embers – they char on the outside to the point where you’re a little alarmed at how they look, but under that blackened crust is the most intensely sweet, beautifully vibrant red flesh. Make sure the beetroots are golf ball sized, and no bigger.
The fish is salted before being smoked over hardwood – If you have access to sea water, you can use it to brine the fillets for about an hour, instead of dry salting. The third very important ingredient is horseradish. Bring all three together and it’s a work of art.
SALT YOUR FISH
Take a large plate or tray and scatter it all over with a single layer of sea salt flakes. Lay the mackerel fillets skin-side down over the salt. Scatter another layer of salt on top, making sure the entire fish gets some. Leave the fillets to cure for 15-20 minutes.
While the fish is sitting in its salt, make the horseradish creme fraiche. Combine the creme fraiche with the horseradish, mustard, vinegar, sugar and chopped dill. Season lightly, mix well and set aside for later.
Gently wash the salt off the fish using cool fresh water. Thoroughly dry the fillets by patting all over with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel, then sprinkle on some coarsely cracked black pepper. Keep the fish cool while you cook the beetroot.
SET UP YOUR EGG
Set up your EGG for dirty cooking, with no cooking surfaces in place. Your target temperature is 220-240°C.
When the coals are nicely glowing, place the whole beetroots directly down into the embers. Cook them with the Dome closed for 25-35 minutes, turning regularly, until tender when pierced with a knife. The tops will smoke and burn, but this all adds both to the theatre and the flavour. Don’t worry if the beets blacken – this gives them heaps of character.
When the beets are cooked, thickly slice them in a bowl with plenty of salt and pepper, a good trickle of olive oil, the lemon zest and some chopped dill. Tumble together then set aside.
SMOKE YOUR FISH
Add a few Premium Woodchunks to the fire and bring the temperature down to around 150°C. Lightly oil your Stainless Steel Grid, add it to the EGG and arrange a layer of whole dill sprigs over the top. Lay the fish skin-side down on top of the dill and close the Dome. Smoke the fish for 8-10 minutes, until just cooked through – the flesh should flake from the skin. Keep the fish warm while you set up for serving.
To serve, spoon two-thirds of the horseradish sauce out over a large serving plate. Arrange the dressed beetroot slices over the top. Carefully flake the warm smoked mackerel from the skin and let it fall over the beetroot wherever it likes. Dot over the remaining sauce. Give the top of the dish a final flurry of grated horseradish and chopped dill. Serve at once.
